Hey, I know it's been a while since I posted here, but something happened today that made me sick. The house passed a bill that includes amnesty for telecoms that illegally spied on Americans. If you haven't been following the issue, this means that there will be no investigation into illegal acts committed by and on behalf of this administration, much less punishment.
The bill was supported by Democratic House leadership and, in an after-the-fact announcement, by Barack Obama. Obama basically concedes to every spurious Republican argument for passing the bill. He doesn't even address the issue of telecom amnesty:
Given the grave threats that we face, our national security agencies must have the capability to gather intelligence and track down terrorists before they strike, while respecting the rule of law and the privacy and civil liberties of the American people. . . .
After months of negotiation, the House today passed a compromise that, while far from perfect, is a marked improvement over last year's Protect America Act. . . .It is not all that I would want. But given the legitimate threats we face, providing effective intelligence collection tools with appropriate safeguards is too important to delay. So I support the compromise, but do so with a firm pledge that as President, I will carefully monitor the program, review the report by the Inspectors General, and work with the Congress to take any additional steps I deem necessary to protect the lives -– and the liberty –- of the American people.
Not that I'm terribly surprised. I've been arguing for a long time with people who think that Obama is somehow different from other politicians when he plainly isn't. Still, I would be lying if I said that I'm not sad that the Democratic nominee for President would support such odious legislation.
I don't want to be sour grapes about this, but right now the thought of voting for Obama isn't particularly appealing. Luckily for me, it's winner-take-all, and Seattle is about 95% Democratic, so I can do whatever I want on November 3rd without possibly affecting the outcome of the Presidential election. Way to go, Democracy.
2 comments:
Great to have you back blogging, J. I was worred that my rss reader had died.
A lot of Obama's luster has really worn thin lately.
Between this and his immediate pro-Isreal and anti-Iran grandstanding immediately after he clinched the nomination, I am not pleased. Throw in his support of bail-outs and hand-outs as economic reform, and you have me wearing the shoes of a pissed off voter.
I'd like to vote libertarian, but Bob Barr is a douchebag.
Good thing that Ron Paul sign still sits in my front yard.
Great post, while both candidates have talked about running an 'issues' campaign I wonder how many people are actually aware of Obama's stance on various issues. I understand that he will have to swing right until the general election to avoid be labeled soft on terror, however it seems perilous to *hope* that it's all rhetoric. Also, all that talk about canceling NAFTA boils my blood as well.
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