Ahem.... is there still room for an ON Topic post on this page?
If I've missed Obama's "finest moment", in his efforts TO PREVENT "the warrantless wiretapping", he vowed
last november, to oppose, or in his new, watered down commitment to try to remove telecomm amnesty from the house passed, FISA "reform" bill, please point me to it !
http://senate.gov/legislative/LIS/ro...n=2&vote=00158
The senate voted on wednesday to proceed to debate on the FISA bill. Those opposing this motion to move closer to a vote on the bill itself, garnered only 15 votes... Obama didn't vote. 80 senators voted to move the bill along, but some, including Reid and Spector, have stated they will not vote for the final version of the bill, if it still includes telecomm amnesty. Obama has said he will do the opposite:
Watch Obama explain, this week, how being against any bill that included telecomm amnesty in January, is consistent with saying now, that he will vote for a bill that includes telecomm amnesty if it comes up for a final vote for senate passage:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwa...ostid-updateC6
Quote:
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpoi...m_immunity.php
Obama On FISA: Telecom Immunity Issue Doesn't Override National Security
By Greg Sargent - June 25, 2008, 6:13PM
At a presser today, Obama weighed in again on the FISA cave, and suffice it to say that what he said won't make opponents any less unhappy about Obama's position than they were already.
Asked specifically why he's supporting the current FISA bill when he'd promised months ago to support a filibuster of an earlier version of the bill, Obama suggested flat out that "national security" overrides the question of telecom immunity...
Watch it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPljokDWERg
It's true that Obama says mitigating things like we need to be "watching the watchers." But here's the key quote from him:
"The bill has changed. So I don't think the security threats have changed, I think the security threats are similar. My view on FISA has always been that the issue of the phone companies per se is not one that overrides the security interests of the American people."
Obama's line on national security here seems to be affirmation of something that many understood already: That he will support the bill even if telecom immunity isn't stripped from it, despite his promise to try to get immunity out of the legislation. If the issue of telecom immunity doesn't override national security, he'll of course vote for the bill with or without it.
Separately, the developing politics of this are interesting. Today Harry Reid announced that he will oppose the bill. Many Democrats are now asking, What will Hillary do?
Tea leaf readers note that Hillary's New York colleague, Chuck Schumer, also announced today that he's voting against it. Will Hillary follow suit? It seems like a huge opening for her to repair relations with progressives angry with her over her treatment of Obama during primary. On the other hand, some Dems note a complicating factor: If Hillary votes against the bill, it could cast a bit of a shadow over the planned "unity" Hillary-Obama event on Friday.
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Quote:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1214...googlenews_wsj
Obama Tilts Toward Center, Irking Some Activists
Stances on Spy Bill
And Corporate Tax
Buck Liberal Base
By SUSAN DAVIS
June 24, 2008; Page A8
...On foreign policy, national security, tax issues and even local politics, Sen. Obama has made some decisions lately that belie his ranking by the nonpartisan National Journal as the U.S.'s "most liberal" senator.
[Barack Obama]
During the primaries, he ran to the left of Sen. Hillary Clinton, securing the nomination in part by shoring up a base that included self-identified liberals and Internet activists who helped fill his campaign war chest.
Some of those supporters are irked by Sen. Obama's latest moves, but the general-election season will put increased pressure on both candidates to attract moderate and independent voters.....
....To be sure, the predominant view among party leaders is that a turn toward the center is smart politics, and that Sen. Obama's willingness to buck the left wing on issues such as the spy bill signals he is maneuvering to fight Sen. McCain directly for voters in the middle of the political spectrum.
"I applaud it," a senior Democratic lawmaker said. "By standing up to MoveOn.org and the ACLU, he's showing, I think, maybe the first example of demonstrating his ability to move to the center. He's got to make the center comfortable with him. He can't win if the center isn't comfortable."
Sen. Obama's press office didn't respond to requests for comment....
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Why is Obama lauded for "standing up to MoveOn.org and the ACLU", instead of the opposite....standing up to Cheney and Bush and their anti-constitutional "take our rights away from us via their maintaining a constant climate of fear" propaganda campaign?
Anybody willing to decipher what Obama's position is, compared to what it was back in January, and why it should not be a cause for concern, now?