RSS
guest-blogger

Obama Explains His Support For FISA Capitulation

By talkleft

Link:

I want to take this opportunity to speak directly to those of you who oppose my decision to support the FISA compromise.

This was not an easy call for me. I know that the FISA bill that passed the House is far from perfect. I wouldn't have drafted the legislation like this, and it does not resolve all of the concerns that we have about President Bush's abuse of executive power. It grants retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that may have violated the law by cooperating with the Bush Administration's program of warrantless wiretapping. This potentially weakens the deterrent effect of the law and removes an important tool for the American people to demand accountability for past abuses. That's why I support striking Title II from the bill, and will work with Chris Dodd, Jeff Bingaman and others in an effort to remove this provision in the Senate. [MORE . . . ]

But I also believe that the compromise bill is far better than the Protect America Act that I voted against last year. The exclusivity provision makes it clear to any President or telecommunications company that no law supersedes the authority of the FISA court. In a dangerous world, government must have the authority to collect the intelligence we need to protect the American people. But in a free society, that authority cannot be unlimited. As I've said many times, an independent monitor must watch the watchers to prevent abuses and to protect the civil liberties of the American people. This compromise law assures that the FISA court has that responsibility.

The Inspectors General report also provides a real mechanism for accountability and should not be discounted. It will allow a close look at past misconduct without hurdles that would exist in federal court because of classification issues. The recent investigation uncovering the illegal politicization of Justice Department hiring sets a strong example of the accountability that can come from a tough and thorough IG report.

The ability to monitor and track individuals who want to attack the United States is a vital counter-terrorism tool, and I'm persuaded that it is necessary to keep the American people safe -- particularly since certain electronic surveillance orders will begin to expire later this summer. Given the choice between voting for an improved yet imperfect bill, and losing important surveillance tools, I've chosen to support the current compromise. I do so with the firm intention -- once I’m sworn in as President -- to have my Attorney General conduct a comprehensive review of all our surveillance programs, and to make further recommendations on any steps needed to preserve civil liberties and to prevent executive branch abuse in the future.

Now, I understand why some of you feel differently about the current bill, and I'm happy to take my lumps on this side and elsewhere. For the truth is that your organizing, your activism and your passion is an important reason why this bill is better than previous versions. No tool has been more important in focusing peoples' attention on the abuses of executive power in this Administration than the active and sustained engagement of American citizens. That holds true -- not just on wiretapping, but on a range of issues where Washington has let the American people down.

I learned long ago, when working as an organizer on the South Side of Chicago, that when citizens join their voices together, they can hold their leaders accountable. I'm not exempt from that. I'm certainly not perfect, and expect to be held accountable too. I cannot promise to agree with you on every issue. But I do promise to listen to your concerns, take them seriously, and seek to earn your ongoing support to change the country. That is why we have built the largest grassroots campaign in the history of presidential politics, and that is the kind of White House that I intend to run as President of the United States -- a White House that takes the Constitution seriously, conducts the peoples' business out in the open, welcomes and listens to dissenting views, and asks you to play your part in shaping our country’s destiny.

Democracy cannot exist without strong differences. And going forward, some of you may decide that my FISA position is a deal breaker. That's ok. But I think it is worth pointing out that our agreement on the vast majority of issues that matter outweighs the differences we may have. After all, the choice in this election could not be clearer. Whether it is the economy, foreign policy, or the Supreme Court, my opponent has embraced the failed course of the last eight years, while I want to take this country in a new direction. Make no mistake: if John McCain is elected, the fundamental direction of this country that we love will not change. But if we come together, we have an historic opportunity to chart a new course, a better course.

So I appreciate the feedback through my.barackobama.com, and I look forward to continuing the conversation in the months and years to come. Together, we have a lot of work to do.

By Big Tent Democrat

Comments

(21)

Way to go Obama.

Find a way to make it sound like you really care while you grant criminals a pass for violating our rights.

Your votes over the last 12 months have been largely focused on assuring that you cannot be charged with not supporting the troops or opposing the so-called "War on Terror." Looks like your major concern is not being Swift-Boated.

I held out hope that you would put principle and the rule of law above political expendiency, but alas, that is not to be. You even have Lionel and tnhe other Left Talking Heads giving you cover by saying your dash to the Right is necessary, because if you do not get elected, you can't do anything for us. Well, in this case, you did nothing at all except give legitimacy to the illegal behavior of the criminal Bush Administration

I'm voting for McCain. At least with him in the White House my taxes won't go up.

By blogbobJuly 3, 2008 - 6:41pm

Oh well, looks like Obama

has finally come to his senses, and now is willing to support America's efforts in defeating the Islamo-Facists.

By leftysrsickJuly 3, 2008 - 6:57pm

How do you defeat what does not exist?

Go enlist, traitor scum. Cowboy-hat Oathbreaker and his PNAC masters need your blood to help pull more of THEIR oil out from under Iraq's desert. Just ask them.

If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error. ~~~John Kenneth Galbraith

By nonexistent manJuly 4, 2008 - 5:48am

I know that you don't exist, so defeating

you, the traitorious, islamo-facist, puppet, computor program, generated by this site, will be a challenge, but some how your computor generated code will be broken, and then you will cease to exist, at least until the programmers reconfiguare another program, to spread more lies and propaganda, about this country. Then we will start all over again, tearing down the program, NANOMAN.

By leftysrsickJuly 4, 2008 - 10:27am

There is no such thing

as an islamo-fascist. It is nothing more than a made up word .

By gt6July 4, 2008 - 12:44pm

Moreover

...it's a word made up by "conservatives". Go look it up.

righties(R)sick is stuck on his talking point, and isn't being allowed to see that everyone else has already torn it apart, properly flushed it, and moved on. It's even older than the "Hussein" talking point, and even less effective at instilling fear in the American public, so they really should forget both of them since they don't work.

If righties(R)sick were serious about wanting to fight "terra" he'd enlist and serve instead of just being a typical Yellow Elephant chickenhawk g0p sheeple-troll.

If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error. ~~~John Kenneth Galbraith

By nonexistent manJuly 4, 2008 - 1:07pm

Go enlist, traitor scum.

Cowboy-hat Oathbreaker and his PNAC masters need your blood to help them pull more of THEIR oil from beneath the Iraq desert. Just ask them.

If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error. ~~~John Kenneth Galbraith

By nonexistent manJuly 4, 2008 - 1:04pm

Now he's against abortion.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says "mental distress" should not qualify as a health exception for late term-abortions, a key distinction not embraced by many supporters of abortion rights.

By leftysrsickJuly 3, 2008 - 7:22pm

I'm still going to vote for

I'm still going to vote for you, Obama, because the alternative is worse - but I would not call this 'change'. There's certain things you can give in to for the greater good, but this is not one of them. Hold EVERYONE accountable for their own actions; it is the only way to make a difference and bring credibility back to the Oval Office.

By gg4usaJuly 3, 2008 - 10:29pm

Source: Hezbollah swap to take place next week

Source: Hezbollah swap to take place next week
By Yossi Melman, Haaretz Correspondent
Last update - 21:49 03/07/2008

he prisoner exchange between Israel the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah is likely to be carried out within a week, a defense official told Haaretz on Thursday.

Israel's negotiator in charge of prisoner exchanges, Ofer Dekel, is currently in Europe meeting with UN-appointed German mediator, Gerhard Konrad. He is expected to return to Israel later Thursday.

This was the first time Konrad and Dekel have met to discuss the report Hezbollah is planning to submit to the UN regarding the fate of Ron Arad, the Israeli Air Force navigator who has been missing since his plane was shot down over Lebanon in 1986. During their talks, Dekel and Konrad will set the terms for the implementation of the swap deal.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in a video-linked Beirut press conference Wednesday that the prisoner swap would take place on or around July 15.

...

By f u bush2July 3, 2008 - 10:31pm

Religious leaders to meet and discuss their crap

For first time, Israeli rabbi to attend Saudi-sponsored interfaith meet
By The Associated Press
Last update - 20:48 03/07/2008

n Israeli rabbi will attend this month's interfaith conference in Madrid at the invitation of Saudi Arabia. It's the first invitation of its kind.

The invitation could potentially be the first step in wider contacts between the kingdom and Israel, Rabbi David Rosen said on Thursday.

Rosen said Saudi Arabia called the conference, set for Madrid from July 16-18, to bring world religions together to confront common challenges.
He said he received an invitation from the World Muslim League, sponsored by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. Rosen called it a historic step for them.

On the other hand, he warned that it might be no more than a Saudi attempt to improve its image and that of Islam in the face of criticism over the 9/11 attacks in the U.S. and other instances of Islamic extremism.

Israel and Saudi Arabia have no diplomatic relations. As guardian of Islam's two holiest sites, Saudi Arabia has traditionally shunned any public contact with Israel or its representatives.

Rosen said the invitation stemmed from the Saudi recognition that the world needs to see Muslim initiatives for cooperation and for constructive engagement.

About 200 leaders have been invited to the Madrid gathering, including Islamic notables from Arab countries, as well as Jewish and Christian leaders from around the world. Among them are former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and Franklin Graham, son of renowned U.S. evangelist Billy Graham.

Others on the list obtained by the AP are Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan
Williams, Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa And Pope Shenouda II, head of the Coptic Church.

...

By f u bush2July 3, 2008 - 10:34pm

And in related news...

...the American Council of Vegetarians meets in San Diego next weekend...to eschew the fat.

Thank you, thank you. I'm here all weekend. Try the veal.

If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error. ~~~John Kenneth Galbraith

By nonexistent manJuly 4, 2008 - 5:50am

This is a great analogy

Republicans are just as capable of running the country as this doctor is at surgery.

Romanian doctor fined for accidentally severing a man's penis
Published: Friday, July 4, 2008 | 8:35 AM ET
Canadian Press: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BUCHAREST, Romania - A court has ordered a Romanian surgeon to pay $795,000 in compensation to a patient whose penis he accidentally severed during an operation.

In July 2004, Dr. Naum Ciomu made a surgical error while operating on the man's testicles, severing the penis instead of making an incision to the testicle.

...

By f u bush2July 4, 2008 - 12:12pm

This is why the democrats shouldn't be allowed to run the countr

I have expended more than a few words criticizing Keith Olbermann for his kid-glove (fawning? sycophant?) treatment of Barack Obama, particularly his coverage of Obama's flip-flop on opposition to the very bad FISA compromise. Last night Olbermann reversed himself (sort of) and expressed some mild criticism of Obama's position on FISA (sort of) in a "Special Comment", so I thought it fair to include it here.

But first, let us recap - A brief outline of the story so far:

* Barack Obama expresses strong opposition to the Bush FISA executive eavesdropping power expansion with the Telco Immunity provision.
* Keith Olbermann broadcasts a "Special Comment" calling the FISA bill with Telco Immunity fascist.
* Obama flip-flops announcing support for virtually identical FISA "compromise" with Telco Immunity.
* Olbermann and Jonathon Alter praise Obama for "not cowering to the left" on the FISA compromise.
* Glenn Greenwald calls out Olbermann on his hypocritical coverage of Obama.
* Keith Olbermann says he did not read Greenwald, but responds anyway.
* Greenwald does read Olbermann's post and dismantles his response.
* Olberman says, "Lets change the subject."
* Olbermann broadcasts this "Special Comment" on Monday saying "Senator Obama wants his cake and eat it too":

Frankly, I found this Olbermann "Special Comment" to be somewhat incoherent, as he apparently feels compelled to wrap superfluous caveats and insert two shots at Republicans for every mild criticism of the Obama flip-flop. That said, he explicitly urges Obama to take a "second chance to make a first impression", do the right thing and either - join the opposition planning to filibuster the bill -or- explicitly state that an Obama administration will pursue a criminal prosecution of the Bush administration and Telco companies for violations of the original FISA law.

Olbermann makes much of the fact that the bill - (both the version that Obama opposes and the version that Obama supports) only provides immunity from civil lawsuits. Greenwald maintains that the possibility of criminal prosecution under this bill to be a fantasy, and remains focused on the bigger issue of stopping the expansion of executive power. In any case, I expect Obama to embrace neither of Olbermann's suggestions. Having already flip-flopped once on the issue, it just would not be politic for him to flop-flip back.

More important, Olbermann's commentary and the Olbermann/Greenwald debate has helped keep a spotlight on this important issue and the impending vote. This has all been made possible because a few Senators like Feingold and Dodd (and unlike Obama) were willing to show real leadership on this issue and keep principle ahead of politics. They succeeded in delaying the FISA vote until after the Independence Day holiday, allowing time for opposition to build. Stopping or modifying the bill still seems unlikely, but this is politics, and... who knows? Our elected representatives might even decide to defend and protect the Constitution. It could happen.

Divided We Stand
United We Fall

"It is not enough that your Legislature should be numerous; it should also be divided." Ben Franklin
"Ambition must be made to counteract ambition." James Madison
"Divided we ever have been, and ever must be." John Adams
"Divided we stand, united we fall." Thomas Jefferson

Divided & Balanced ™, now that is fair.
http://westanddivided.blogspot.com

By leftysrsickJuly 4, 2008 - 12:25pm

Scrolled.

If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error. ~~~John Kenneth Galbraith

By nonexistent manJuly 4, 2008 - 1:03pm

GOP Anger: Bush Is Being "Reduced To Child's Play"

GOP Anger: Bush Is Being "Reduced To Child's Play"
US News | July 4, 2008 10:39 AM

US News and World Report printed a short piece about GOP fears that the President's relevance is shrinking beyond already dismal levels.

Allies Worry About President's Schedule

Some of President Bush's allies tell the Political Bulletin they are embarrassed and angry that the White House seems to be wasting Bush's time on frivolous events when much of the country is suffering through economic hard times. "Look at the schedule for Monday," says an outside Bush adviser. "A highlight of his day was witnessing a tee ball game. ... He is being reduced to child's play." The adviser says Bush also signed a supplemental appropriations bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on Monday, but he adds that it didn't get much coverage and that the tee ball game set the wrong tone. There is growing concern among Bush allies that the Democrats will effectively portray the President and GOP candidate John McCain as out of touch. Some GOP insiders now predict that the Republicans will lose at least five seats in the Senate and 15 to 20 in the House, and it could get worse if gasoline prices continue to soar and the public remains in a disgruntled mood.

By f u bush2July 4, 2008 - 12:27pm

Child's play suits his child brain just fine

'Nuff said.

199 days until the g0p gets KICKED TO THE CURB, where they belong.

If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error. ~~~John Kenneth Galbraith

By nonexistent manJuly 4, 2008 - 1:09pm

Islamofacist.

The term is included in the New Oxford American Dictionary, defining it as "a controversial term equating some modern Islamic movements with the European fascist movements of the early twentieth century

By leftysrsickJuly 4, 2008 - 5:05pm

You left out

"...coined by the neoconservative movement".

Go teabag a shotgun, traitor. The military won't take you. You're too stupid and too effeminate.

If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error. ~~~John Kenneth Galbraith

By nonexistent manJuly 4, 2008 - 5:25pm

it is nothing more than an attempt

to link today's bad guys with the bad guys of the past even though fascist more accurately describes the Bush administration than it does the terrorists.

I'm almost surprised they didn't go with islamo-doodoo heads. It serves the same purpose and is more in line with GWBs personal style.

By gt6July 4, 2008 - 8:48pm

Fiction writing is great, you can make up almost anything.

If aliens are looking for intelligent life?! WHY THE HECK ARE YOU SCARED?!

By leftysrsickJuly 4, 2008 - 9:37pm

Comments

(21)