The Trail: A Daily Diary of Campaign 2008

It is possible that Obama may eventually turn out to be - through his own brain-dead carelessness or by forces beyond his capabilities to counter - a real disappointment to his ardent supporters like us.

The immediate, intense, and vehement criticisms of Obama's position of FISA-2008 do worry me, however. First, remember that Obama's support is for FISA-2008, not for FISA-1978. Pay more attention and we shall find out that FISA-2008 prohibits Presidents from using war powers act to justify abusing surveillance law. It certainly improves the situation a lot better than the FISA-in-practice of the last 7+ Bush years. From what I could tell, it enhances, not diminishes, our civil liberties. My criticism on Obama is not about his support of FISA-2008, but lack of specifics about how he will "monitor" its enforcement. Without effective monitoring, even good laws can produce evil results.

Second, I think Obama's action will make it easier for him to proceed with his plans for broader international issues. The opponents on Obama's Iraq plan, for example, cannot label him as having surrendered to the terrorists with no defense against American people. This will be cited as one example against the sellout charge. Obama will need more opportunities like this not less.

Obama is not running for President of Humanity, but I wish he could act like one. First he should be elected President of USA. Second he should govern USA as President. Third he could help promote the peace and harmony of the entire humanity a little bit. In everything he does now, he better think of the consequences of his actions in all three.

No, Obama did not act like a mere calculating politician by supporting FISA-2008. A mere politician would have denounced FASA-2008 like Michael Dukakis or John Kerry would have done.

Chris Redford...spot on!
People, READ the FISA amendments before you throw your tirades to the masses and appeal for support. It's SOOOO simple in this day to research something; it's literally a click away and you will find that the amendment of FISA 1978 prohibits activities the current administration assumed over our privacy and liberties.
I will say that I think there is ONE part of the amendment that is ambiguous and could lead to opportunistic advantage so often represented by Bush n' Bastards; that of allowing eavesdropping in "emergencies". However, it is the only thing that I dislike about this amendment; the rest (listed below) actually reign in the powers that FISA originally allowed.

The bill would also:[3]

* Require FISA court permission to wiretap Americans who are overseas.
* Prohibit targeting a foreigner to secretly eavesdrop on an American's calls or e-mails without court approval.
* Allow the FISA court 30 days to review existing but expiring surveillance orders before renewing them.
* Allow eavesdropping in emergencies without court approval, provided the government files required papers within a week.
* Prohibit the government from invoking war powers or other authorities to supersede surveillance rules in the future.
(from Wikipedia)

People........vote your conscience. You don't have to vote for what the mainstream media thrusts in your face! They're manipulating the American public. There is also the Constitutional party's Chuck Baldwin, Libertarian Bob Barr (who will be on all 50 state ballots), and Independent Ralph Nader. And please no McCain. No more Bush's please.

"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. - Declaration of Independence

From The Trail article:
"Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) today announced his support for a sweeping intelligence surveillance law that has been heavily denounced by the liberal activists..."

I know people who are NOT "liberal activists" who also denounced this law. Why do journalists have to make it seem as though ONLY "liberal activists" have this opinion? What ever happened to objective journalism?

Actually, the fact is that conservative activists would be more likely to denounce this law because it gives MORE protection to our individual privacy, not less. The Bushies don't want us to have this protection, but Barack does.

Most of the people on here are reactionary idiots who haven't even read a SUMMARY of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 (it can be found on Wikipedia).

FISA was established in 1978. It has been a governmental spying act for 3 decades. This bill that Obama is supporting actually makes it HARDER for the executive branch to abuse FISA. It requires them to have more authorization and prohibits them from using "war powers" as an excuse for ignoring surveillance law.

Also, those telecom companies were pressured by the NSA to help with surveillance. If *you* were pressured by a government agency to help them, wouldn't *you* want immunity from lawsuits?

So all you idiots who are screaming and crying that Obama betrayed you need to shut the hell up for a minute and read the actual summary of the bill. It actually gives MORE protection to your privacy, not LESS.

What the hell is going on here? This is the world turned upside down. People don't want to think, read, and make informed judgements anymore. They just want to react. Well you are going to end up screwing youself out of the best presidential candidate since JFK with an attitude like that. Be like Obama! Actually THINK before you react!

Undated internet news stories are *useless.*

Internet news vendors hear this: place the *full date* of your story in reasonably large type somewhere near the headline or byline for the convenience of the reader. Be aware that he may be reading the story at some point well after the date of publication. In the event he's looking for the *most current news,* he'd like to be able to find that out easily.

DO NOT VOTE YES ON FISA............PLEASE!

"There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to. You had to live--did live, from habit that became instinct--in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized."

"The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power. Not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness: only power, pure power. What pure power means you will understand presently. We are different from all the oligarchies of the past, in that we know what we are doing."

WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

- Courtesy of George Orwell, "1984"
http://www.smarthomesllc.net

They aren't listening because they don't care what you have to say. The plan is already set and they will continue with it no matter how much you reject it. If you post on blogs, they will ignore you. If you write your Senator's or Representatives, they will delete your message. If you protest in the streets, they will strike you down (check out YouTube anti-war protests in Oregon).

Wake up, we do not live in a Democracy. We live in a country controlled by a small group of wealthy elite who prey off of our hard labor and suffering.

Welcome to America, what it always was and still is.

A copy of the letter I sent to Obama:

Senator Obama,
I would like to start off by saying that I am a 22 year old college student at the Pennsylvania State University. I waited 5 hours in line to be one of the 22,000 people that came to hear you speak when you visited my school during the primary season. I am one of the many students that voted for you here, ultimately delivering you Centre County, PA during your race with Hillary Clinton. I have donated money to your campaign, it was not much but I gave what I could, despite the astronomical debt I have incurred to receive an education. I consider my donation to be an investment in my future, analogous to spending money to go to college. I have every intention of voting for you in the general election, a vote you will need to beat the conservative supporters of John McCain in Pennsylvania. This will be the second election I have voted in but it is the first I have truly been active in and excited about. You are certainly an inspiration to a younger generation of educated people that have watched in disgust for the past several years as George Bush has made every attempt to destroy this country and what it stands for. You are perhaps the first politician in a long time that even seems to be listening to the younger generation, acknowledging that this is our country too and that our opinions matter. All of that being said, Mr. Obama, I write to you with disappointment in my heart. Your campaign has stood on a message of change, you run as the man who will change the way things are done in Washington. You have spoken about many issues that are important to me that other candidates have ignored entirely such as net neutrality and refusing money from lobbyists. These are things that give me hope for the future of my country. The most important issue to me though, is the reinstatement of our precious Constitution of the United States. George Bush has used the Bill of Rights as a checklist of things to take from the people in the name of the war on terror for far too long. Some of your most meaningful words "I was a constitutional law professor, which means unlike the current president I actually respect the Constitution", delivered in March of 2007, would have been reason enough for me to vote for you.
A little over a week ago, you announced your support of the new FISA bill. This bill endangers Americans' guaranteed right to privacy, encompassed by the fourth amendment, which we have not enjoyed since George Bush passed the Patriot Act and began amassing unprecedented executive powers without judicial oversight. So for the first time since your campaign began, Mr. Obama, I am seeing you as merely another politician, making idle promises to the people of this nation with a silver tongue. With one action, decisively chosen no doubt to make you look "tough on terror"; you have turned your back on those of us that believed you to be different. Even only as an attempt to deflect republican accusations of your inability to defend this country, even just as a means to get into the White House so you can really do all the good you have been promising to this country; the support of this violation to the bill of rights is in no way justifiable as a means to an end. That is the logic of President Bush and it is not by any stretch of the imagination a change to the current politics of Washington. It is because of your FISA decision that I will not be making any further donations to your campaign nor will I be volunteering any more of my time. I write to you so that perhaps the next time you are faced with a slippery slope, you decide to make the right choice; the one that protects the rights of the citizens of this country and not the one that earns you a few political points. I will still be voting for you in November and although you have lost my enthusiasm, Mr. Obama, my hope remains.

Think you know who this man is?

This possible President of the United States ?? Read Below and

ask yourselves, is this REALLY someone we can see as the

President of our great nation!!!!

Below are a few lines from Obama's books; In his words!

From Dreams of My Father:
'I ceased to advertise my mother's race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites.'
From Dreams of My Father : 'I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother's race.'

From Dreams of My Father: 'There was something about him that made me wary, a little too sure of himself, maybe. And white.'

From Dreams of My Father: 'It remained necessary to prove which side you were on, to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names.'

From Dreams of My Father: 'I never emulate white men and brown men whose fates didn't speak to my own. It was into my father's image, the black man, son of Africa , that I'd packed all the attributes I sought in myself , the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, DuBois and Mandela.'

And FINALLY the Most Damming one of ALL of them!!!

From Audacity of Hope: 'I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.'

We CANNOT have someone with this type of mentality running our GREAT nation!!

I don't care whether you a Democrat or a Conservative.
We CANNOT turn ourselves over to this type of character in a President.
PLEASE help spread the word!

The integrity, security and safety of our national telephone and Internet communications systems must become a major concern as we look forward to Change in November.

Private government contractors monitor all U.S. telephone and Internet communications. Some of these private contractors are corrupt or have weak internal controls.

60-70% of the National Security Agency and the CIA's National Clandestine Services budgets are paid to private contractors. See http://HappinessHacker.com for links to NYTimes articles and respected sources that document private government contractor concerns.

Do you think all these private security contractors are honest and honorable?

The War on Terror is a $100+ billion industry, the people and organizations profiting from it will not let go easily.

Can we have fair and free elections in November if our telephone and Internet communications systems are compromised?

Please give this issue some attention.

1cwd18yupbl9pca7 http://www.107033.com/268683.html > 15ztt60jaaghr [URL=http://www.241402.com/155999.html] 1gk6dob3h [/URL] 7rgnk7gcac1fr42

m87n2opx http://www.1074477.com/444534.html > 0dow01xg1bhe [URL=http://www.669419.com/580473.html] nr057o93 [/URL] w49zh1m486y7ej

It isn't the NSA we have to worry about. It's the private contractors they have hired to mine the data and their secondary customers. Everyone who has used a computer or cell phone now has a data file at one of these creepy companies. Our comments, work, and personal information is accumulated in these files at the speed of light. It affects our educational opportunities, credit ratings, insurance ratings, potential copyrighs and patents of itellectual property, and makes us unique targets for advertising, harassment, and discrimination. There is no oversight of these companies and no option for Freedom of Information requests. There is no opportunity for us to review these files and correct inaccuracies. It pervades every aspect of our lives.

Wake up! Very left progressive here. I have been a strong Obama supporter and I am delighted to see his spine-ful stance on the new FISA legislation. I too am for it. It actually STRENGTHENS the Constitutional aspects of FISA, weakens the executive powers (are the rest of you READING the bill's text or just parroting lefty talking points?), and I too am for telecom partial immunity. Why should they pat for Bush's evilness and incompetence? Separately, we knew from the start that Obama was not progressive; we core highly informed Obamaites are for him because he is honest, uncorrupt, and thinks for himself. Bravo!

A wold in sheep's clothing...

A silver tongued devil...

A handsome devil...

He speaks with forked tongue...

[Add your own cliche here]

Oh, just wait you blind supporters, the best of Obama is yet to come...

He WILL be the final blow to this ailing country begging for a second of rest and recovery. What has been set into motion, the march toward a fascist state that tells you how many children you can have, when you must go to the doctor, tracks your every move, dictates your "rights", taxes what you exhale, can not be reversed.

You asked for it, watched it happen, had a chance to protest in the streets, but did nothing and now you will have your tyranny. Marvel as the velvet glove is slooooowly removed and the iron fist comes crashing down...

HAHAHA. You idiots keep voting against your own interests. The best candidates were Kucinich and Ron Paul, based on their voting records and more.

On his AIPAC address, Obama says that he will do "anything" to prevent Iran from getting nuclear power and to defend Israel. He sure does sound like a Bush/McCain.

Go Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich!!!

What part of CHANGE do Obama supporters not understand?

ROFLMAO........."whatever happened to Obama?" has to be the funniest phrase ever written!!!! You Obama supporters didn't want to know about him; and now you're surprised that he would vote with the Republicans? Perhaps if you had taken the time to check out his voting record (or lack of a voting record) in the State of Illinois you wouldn't be shocked today?

My erudite, sophisticated, and considered response to this news?

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

And to think, many of you thought Obama was the Messiah, Martin Luther King, and Santa Claus wrapped up in one nice, very clean, and articulate package. The double-whammy this past week was when the Obamessiah lied through his pearly whites and backflipped on public financing for his campaign.

Yup, you guys thought The Millenium was at hand, but now you've got the sick feeling that you've been suckered by the "Same Old S*** from Chicago."

Well, guys, take heart--the good news is that Obama is an "inclusive" kind of guy: there's room for everybody under his bus.

Y'know what I mean?

He just lost my financial support.

No more donations from this sucker. And to think, I actually started to *believe*. Shame on me. Wish I had that money back now.

"I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

"best of my ability" is our current president's "out."

"I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."

There is no "out" for the Senator and constitutional scholar; support the filibuster!

ron paul is an idiot selling political fools gold. he doesn't know the first thing about applied Liberty.

My head is spinning. I'm sick to my stomach. He promised not to support FISA only a few months ago. Now he's supporting Bush's worst actions. I have no where to go. I will not vote for McCain. I will not vote for Obama. What happened to Obama???

http://www.sealtapes.com/sitemaps/12-53.html tamper-indicating seals
http://www.sealtapes.com/sitemaps/12-52.html anti-tamper labels

"Barack is not the nominee - he won't be the nominee until the Convention. The people still have a chance of getting Hillary as the nominee"
Posted by: Iowatreasures | June 22, 2008 2:19 PM

---------------

Yeah, but first you go and save your girl, just out there begging for some money to clear up her debt...she's counting on you and all the PUMA's....

Hello all..... my 1st post to this board, so I will try to walk softly :>)

It's good that the "War Between the States", aka "the American Civil War" was settled in the 19th century. Had it happened in the post-WWII era of the 20th century, North America would probably be a mass of little republics by now.

It is also good that WWII happened in the 1940s..... We woud lose a big one like that pretty quick in the 21st century.

You keep your cell phones in your ears all the time, being sure to do all your personal business at crowded checkout lines......... you post your innermost political opinions on these VERY public boards... and yet you pretend to desire privacy???
It's okay for us to "spy" on each other......... recording everything on new wave cameras and vidcams, but Big Brother should keep it's bloody eyes wide shut and plug it's ears?

Hypocrosy and arrogance rule the day. Whoever presents the majority favourite image on television and u-toob is our next prez. It's takes $$$$$ and lots of it to produce the images....... if I had just awakened from 40 year nap, I d figure the whole ball of wax must be a big-huge tee vee show...... i'd doubt my own existance and have to wonder if the terminaters and the matrices had taken over whilst i was napping.

Stop the hate. Vote for your candidate and be prepared to do what you can to make the World better regardless of which puppet.......i mean man..... wins.

be nice :>)

McCain and Obama don't scare me. I have faith that either candidate will be an improvement over what we've had for the past 15.5 years.

Presumptuous, elitist, arrogant, or not, there are now only two truly viable candidates for the office of president.

While I wish Obama's position on this issue was more radical, more of a "change," I still feel he would undoubtedly be a more progressive President than McCain.

It's completely understandable that the "we-don't-enjoy-our-civil-liberties-anyway" republi-droids would flood the discussion on this article. It's a given. What bothers me are the liberal impostors whose line of logic implies that the only way things will ever get better is if they get much, much worse. As though effective change can only be achieved though some kind of punishment.

Pointing a finger at the more thoughtful, progressive candidate, saying "look, look, he's not progressive ENOUGH" at this point in the campaign can only tip the scale toward a far less thoughtful and progressive presidency. It gives me the feeling some of you just don't want people to be happy. Face it - with 4 months to go, no momentum and no cash, it is fantasy to imagine an independent or 3rd party candidate stealing this election.

I sincerely hope progressive Americans do not choose to martyr their vote for the ideal of a greater revolution to come. Regardless of the candidacy of Paul, Barr or Nader, that revolution will not really be on the ballot this November. Please, please use your influence to encourage people who may not understand the importance of your fringe candidate to at least vote for the more progressive of the prevailing options.

I Wrote a special comment about this at.

http://allhiphop.com/forums/thread/20200119.aspx

Here's why I've decided to vote Libertarian...

I was all set to vote for Obama in November. Now I'm thoroughly disillusioned.

I could never vote for the McCain either. After all, he supports the telecom immunity too. Indeed, every Republican representative but one voted for it (for the Democrats, 45% voted for it, 55% against).

I went to the Obama blog to post my protest. There were many other angry posts there too by other disillusioned Democrats. And then guess what happened - all our posts disappeared. The Obama moderators "solved" the controversy by deleting all our posts.

Forget Obama, forget McCain. I'm voting Libertarian. Bob Barr, you've got my vote, by default.

Katie:

March 28, 2008--(CNN)--The University of Chicago said Friday Barack Obama accurately described himself as a onetime law professor at the school, despite the fact his formal title was "Senior Lecturer."

The university's statement comes after the Clinton campaign recently suggested on several occasions that the Illinois senator was embellishing his role at the school by calling himself a professor.

The campaign also sent out a press release quoting a 2004 Chicago Sun-Times column that stated of Obama's professor claim: "Several direct-mail pieces issued for Obama's primary campaign said he was a law professor at the University of Chicago. He is not. He is a senior lecturer (now on leave) at the school. In academia, there is a vast difference between the two titles. Details matter."

But in a statement, the university said its senior lecturers are considered professors.

"From 1992 until his election to the U.S. Senate in 2004, Barack Obama served as a professor in the Law School," the statement said.

"He was a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996. He was a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004, during which time he taught three courses per year. Senior Lecturers are considered to be members of the Law School faculty and are regarded as professors, although not full-time or tenure-track," it also said.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/03/28/university-of-chicago-obama-was-a-professor/

"As bad as Obama is, a rejection for Obama means Mcbush in power. So what do you people want? Another destruction of the republic for 4 more years, or Obama? You people are so confused, you people should take logics classes, on how to think, how to choose. How can you not choose the lesser evil of 2 evils?"
Now you know his strategy. Tell the young and the gullible what they want to hear,and have your operatives demonize the republicans to get the nomination, then do your thing. This guy is truly scary. You think the republicans are taking away your civil liberties wait until this guy gets in office. Wake up!

What's left out of the description is that the new FISA bill does NOT grant retroactive immunity from criminal charges.

He also mad this statement:
"[The bill] does, however, grant retroactive immunity, and I will work in the Senate to remove this provision so that we can seek full accountability for past offenses."

I'm hoping to see a filibuster personally, but we'll see.

Obama, you just lost me, I am now looking for a presidential candidate. Bush 44 is out of the question. Ron Paul is looking better all the time, but if Paul supports this lousy legislation he will be gone also. Then who?

Katie, give it up. Barack Obama was listed as a "Professor" in the University of Chicago directory. What your post has to do with the FISA issue, I can't fathom.

Sorry Hillary bombed, but get over it.

I could care less about amnesty for the telecoms.

What has been shrouded over in the clouds of technology is that the NSA has been and this law will allow the NSA to continue to listen to and mine ALL Internet traffic. That includes you and I posting to this site. That's the way the Internet works, there is no way for them to choose who to listen to. Then if they find something interesting, they're supposed to go to the FISA court.

This is truly Senator Obama's audacity of betrayal: His small donors believed in his Hope for Change and Democratic values of civil liberties. Senator Obama and his fellow Democratic Leaders cannot compromise such values. The game is over.

Obama wasn't a professor at the University of Chicago. He was a lecturer. He never got tenured.

For a professor of constitutional law to add his name to a list of sleazy legislators deliberately undermining the fourth amendment and the criminal laws of the U.S. makes the oath he will take in January already a lie. Same for McClueless, who, if he should take the oath would be being no less deceitful. Along with Pelosi who defines incompetent legislator and who has damaged our national security by not allowing the impeachment of Bushboy what is happening to us?

The Bush regime has created enormous hatred and disrespect for the United States. A recent world wide poll found that George W. Bush ranks at the bottom of world leaders as one of the least trusted along with US Pakistani puppet Musharraf and the Iranian president, Ahmadinejad, who has the disadvantage of being the victim of demonization by the US and European corporate-controlled media, which serve as ministries of propaganda for the governments that control their broadcast licenses. The American and European media lie for their living.

If Americans return a Republican regime, Americans will validate the right of the president to violate with impunity US and international law. Americans will validate the use by the president of the United States of deception and lies in order to initiate wars of aggression, aggression that is a war crime under the Nuremburg standard established by the US. Americans will validate the infringement of US civil liberties in the name of "safety" and "national security." Americans will disembowel the US Constitution and leave themselves at the total mercy of the government.

If a Democratic House of Representatives will pass a retroactive law in order to legalize the criminal violations of a Republican regime, the same House will pass a retroactive law making illegal what you did legally yesterday. No one is any longer safe in America. By abandoning the US Constitution, Republicans and Democrats have made America as potentially unsafe as Zimbabwe for anyone who takes exception to the government.

The total collapse of the Democratic Party and the House of Representatives signals the end of liberty and democracy in America. Henceforth, led by the Republican Federalist Society, we will gravitate toward the beautiful regime of "energy in the executive" that has been achieved in Zimbabwe by Robert Mugabe.

To hell with Mccain !! Mccain is a real psychopath !! and his supporters are right-wing evangelical lunatic psychopaths like nazis, who hate muslims, black people and immigrants. And that's why they want Mccain in power, so that he can turn USA into a gulag jail. So no way. If Mccain becomes presidents, we will rise up and bear arms. We will not permit another 4 more years of Republican Party zionism

As bad as Obama is, a rejection for Obama means Mcbush in power. So what do you people want? Another destruction of the republic for 4 more years, or Obama? You people are so confused, you people should take logics classes, on how to think, how to choose. How can you not choose the lesser evil of 2 evils?

In saying that he will meet directly with the president of Iran without preconditions, Obama has single handedly undermined Europe's effort to rid Iran of it's nuke program. I wish Obama would just put a soap in his mouth and stop being so quick to criticize others when he's got major faults of his own. The hypocrite!

WHY IS LARRY SINCLAIR IN JAIL? AND WHY IS NOBODY REQUESTING THE TELEPHONE RECORDS OF OBAMA FOR THE PERIOD OF TIME HE WAS SUPPOSEDLY ENGAGED IN SUSPECT BEHAVIOR?

WHY WOULD YOU COVER AN ALLEGED MCCAIN TRYST WITH NO BASIS IN FACT AND THEN NOT COVER SPECIFIC TIMES AND DATES ON AN ALLEGED OBAMA DRUG AND HOMOSEXUAL TRYST. THE SOONER YOU INVESTIGATE AND PUT TO BED THE SOONER PEOPLE WILL QUIT TALKING ABOUT IT BUT IGNORING WON'T MAKE IT GO AWAY.

I agree 100% that Obama's stance on the FISA revision is poor judgement (the business about the telecom immunity is just a smokescreen to take our eye off the real objective: domestic spying). But all of you who say you won't vote for him or he is more of the same politics as usual:remember, there were many who said the same about Bush and Gore. We all know now that is a dangerous way to think. He may not be perfect but he is far better than McBush. Keep writing all your senators to fight this atrocious bill and protect our 4th ammendment rights.

The FISA legislation is a chance for Obama to show he is really an agent for change.

The FISA bill is an abomination. Not only does it give immunity to telecoms who do not deserve it, it basically legalizes one of the most egregious (and unnecessary) assaults on civil liberties ever prosecuted.

I have been an Obama donor, but won't give any more unless Obama comes through on this one. This is one of the things that needs to change.

I will reserve my judgement about this until I hear more from the candidate himself. Clearly, there is more to this story than we know right now.

All of the trolls posting here today can't sway my support. Fear is powerful but lies are even worse.

I am sending money to Ralph Nader as we speak! I'll vote for a Communist before I'll vote for any politician that supports 'Home Invasions'. You take away my privacy and give it to billion dollar monopolies, and expect me to support your campaigns?

Obama's a phony. He had a Period.

Obama is a smooth talker. He's got America in bed on a first date. That is smooth. I read this today:

http://www.observer.com/2008/spike-lee-predicts-chocolate-city-under-obama

Another reason to reject Senator Obama. First, he broke his promise on campaign finance. Now, Obama supports FISA's Spy Program. As a Constitutional Lawyer, Obama should know better. This is wrong. No Obama.

Obama's a phony.
Period.

Obama will fail to raise the same level of cash as he did before, now that he has reversed many promises that he made to people.

Finally, some people are waking up to con. If anyone thinks that the democrats are going to pull out of Iraq or not take advantage of technology to intercept communications coming and going to terrorists, then they are truly naive. Obama supports FISA. The democrats just passed a bill to support the troops until June '09. A bill that has no pull out dates connected to it. Are you awake yet? How many red flags to you need until you realize that those you elect will do whatever it takes to prevent another 911?

"It restores FISA and existing criminal wiretap statutes as the exclusive means to conduct surveillance -- making it clear that the President cannot circumvent the law"

WRONG. The only way to send that message is to punish the President for Violating the law. This would involve:

1. Impeachment
2. Subsequent Criminal Charges

Sadly, no one of significance on the hill has the balls to do it :(

As a supporter and donator to Obama's campaign I am devastated that the democrats have caved on fisa. Some things are worth fighting for and this is one of them. The dems are back to their old tricks of taking us progressives for granted and doing what is expedient for them. If Obama caves as we expect he will then all of us on the left need to stop sending him funds. Lets send him a message that we wont be taken for granted and we can do that by not sending him money. He may regret passing on public financing after all.

Obama should never be POTUS, period!

http://www.justsaynodeal.com/

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/19/america/19campaign.php

"Audacity.-The Real Barack"

Being sold now! ;~)

When will Obama choose his VP?

"So I support the compromise, but do so with a firm pledge that as president, I will carefully monitor the program."

So its McSame (to quote the Obama supporters) vs. OSame.

So - was Hillary's stated position so evil after all? Guess it doesn't matter now that BHO is the nominee. And he adopted her position.

Posted by: Echo21 | June 22, 2008 2:13 PM

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Barack is not the nominee - he won't be the nominee until the Convention. The people still have a chance of getting Hillary as the nominee - but the super delegates are going to have to start reading their e-mails and taking the phone calls from the eighteen million people who want Hillary to be the next president.

The super delegates "endorsed," they haven't voted yet. Obama is presumptious, arrogant, self-serving and sharp elbowing his way into the nomination - he hasn't won the nomination yet. We need to get fired up and keep him out of the White House. gw.

To an educateed person:

You know that people who donate less than $200 don't have to be identified. The "employees" of drug companies and oil companies and other major industries don't have to be identified.

Who is monitoring these contributions? Who knows where Obama gets his money from? He used to get it from Antoin Rezko/Auchi - and perhaps he still is. Obama is "buying" this election, he isn't earning it.

Many states where Obama outspent Hillary 2 and 3 and 4 times to one, she beat him anyway. And, have you noticed, since Obama only brought in the same amount as McCain did in May, we haven't seen any rip roaring crowds like we did before. I think people are realizing Obama has enough money, they may as well keep their money for gas and food. No Obama, never, never, ever, ever. gw.

"So I support the compromise, but do so with a firm pledge that as president, I will carefully monitor the program."

So its McSame (to quote the Obama supporters) vs. OSame.

So - was Hillary's stated position so evil after all? Guess it doesn't matter now that BHO is the nominee. And he adopted her position.

Well I said it from the start, Obama is not a real leader to our party and this is another reason why I will not vote for him. He talks about special interest in Washington D.C. with all the powers and now he gaves them a very big one which is to SPY ON US. Thanks OBAMA

Does anybody notice that the Fannie Mae scandal with Obama's VP search party being related to race? Or is it a racial coincidence.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_6_56/ai_72502699?tag=rbxcra.2.a.3

As a recovering Republican, I must show my utter contempt for the Republican Party, their neo-con fascist supporters and their Democrat accomplices. They have sunk to the level of Soviet era politburo members.

Democrats are now serving as enablers and criminal accomplices. This latest piece of Stalinist spyware, (FISA w/ex post facto, telecom immunity), authored by the Bush administration hacks and sheparded through the Congress by Steny Hoyer and the rest of the Democratic leadership is just the latest in our slide toward a police state.

For those diehard Democrats that believe Barak Obama is going to miraculously save the country and convert all the Nancy Pelosis' Steny Hoyers' and the rest into real Democrat Representatives,
there's more bad news.

Obama is reconstituting many of the Clinton admin cronies for his campaign staff and possibly his cabinet.
You remember the Clinton administration cronies dont you? The ones that brought us the Waco Massacre, numerous domestic scandals, the destruction of Yugoslavia and the resultant Bosnian Civil War. The unprovoked and illegal bombing of Kosovo using NATO as cover. The Nato/UN occupation that turned a blind eye to our friends the Kosovo Albanian Mafia's slave trading, drug and weapons smuggling and murder for the last nine years. And more!

Airstrikes on aspirin factories in Karthoum. Weekly airstrikes on Iraq civilian targets for Clinton's entire term of office causing hundreds if not thousands of civilian deaths and billions of $$ of destruction.
Mad Bomber Madeline Albright appears to be heading up Obama's campaign operation. She is (in)famous for stating that 400,000 Iraqi children's deaths as a result of the US controlled Iraq sanctions were "worth it."

I'm afraid that there is nowhere to go for either Democrats or Republicans this November without more of the same and possibly worse. Holding your nose and voting for the lesser of evils won't get it! Lesser of evils is still evil.
It looks like Bob Barr for me. I believe he is also a recovering Republican

It is long past the time to give both the House and the Senate a thorough "House Cleaning." Any Congressman or Senator (one third of the Senate is up for reelection)that has served for more than two terms should be updating their resumes. Maybe they'll find out what it feels like to be a working American in the society and the economy they have created for the rest of us.

and not to mention the north american union is also coming which will destroy american sovereignty.

See this video at.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T74VA3xU0EA

Good Morning! :-)

Soooooo,

What has "Barry" O'Flip-Flopa "Changed" on Today?

Seriously, anyone who has been to the guy's Website, and had to REGISTER first in order to get in and see anything about what he does not want you to know, should realize HE lives to collect people's Information to use!

The illegitimate "Big Brother", you never Wanted! ;~)

Lol

Obama changes his mind of often that he'll probably flip-flop back to Islam when he's elected. Everyone will be living in Obamaland. Only in America can this story happen.

This was a major test of personal integrity. I am so sorry that he failed this challenge. He is our only nominee now and has already failed us all.

But what did Obama just get passed? A bill that gives Bush everything he wanted on spying powers, and about 99% gives immunity to the telecoms. Basically everything the Republicans wanted.

So, if this was a 'compromise' what did Obama and the Democrats get? Pretty much nothing. That's not compromise, that's surrender. Except to surrender first you have to oppose and the Dems don't even oppose. So, that's not surrender, that's collaboration.

Quisling for President! Yeah!

For anyone who thought Obama would not accept this compromise and support telecom immunity, you haven't been reading his website. He emphasizes being sick of ideology (ideas that protect the Constitution and our rights) and he emphasizes "reaching across the aisle" which means, screw our rights, he'll let Republicans do whatever they want to us. Not standing up for what you believe in is something Obama has been specializing in since this race started. He has rarely taken a stand on anything, and now this evasive tendency is finally being noticed? Wake up people.

these blogs are better than Saturday night live.

Politics IS compromise, with out compromise the laws don't get passed. very few laws are supported in their infantcy by a majority. To get them passed it requires people working together. Give and take. Taking a hard view on the FISA law stops it from passing but does NOTHING to improve the situation as Bush is openly breaking the law as it is. Creating a new law even an imperfect one, provides the frame work to prevent abuse (at best) or curb it(more likely)

Watch carefully how Obama audaciously plays the race card in the coming weeks.

"So I support the compromise, but do so with a firm pledge that as president, I will carefully monitor the program."

I am so disappointed that Obama said this. I'm beginning to find it hard to believe in any promise or pledge that Obama makes.
I listened, with my friends, to his televised words and promises months ago. We got disappointed that he has failed to keep his them. The tragic thing is that he's not even president and already the reversals are happening. We're not as enthusiastic about Obama now as we were during the caucuses. When we talk about Obama in these days, it's mostly not positive. At first, we felt that he's got novelty. But this has worn off. Somehow, he's not as likable as when he gave that speech at the last Democratic Convention. Obama today is a shrewd and calculating politician, ironically more than the veterans in Congress.

Obama will lose in California and, ironically, in Iowa this November.

Obama doesn't have a clue. If he gets elected, he probably won't be around long, from what I hear.

"So I support the compromise, but do so with a firm pledge that as president, I will carefully monitor the program"?

What a delusion...The general election campaign has just started. Obama made a big mistake, so did Democratic Leaders.

I'm only surprised that anyone is surprised. Do you really think BO has a problem with being Big Brother? I've seen for many months on his site comments by posters "Don't question HQ - they know what we should do", "HQ knows best", "Obama will lead us, we must follow". Wake up and put down the kool-aid before it is too late!

As to Pelosi - she sold us down the river when she said impeachment was off the table the minute she took her seat.

PUMA!

Nobama:

Another Republican

Truthhurts:

There is no test for Obama, he has already said he will waffle on this one. He may be adroit in how he handles voting the wrong way but wrong he will be. Not everyone who is against Obama is a Republican but I think you are.

Your name is a misnomer. the truth helps. Apparently you are unaware of that.

I HOPE you Obamatards will CHANGE your minds before it's too late. You've been had by a phony man in an empty suit. Just think, he's already screwed you and he isn't even president yet. Idiots!

i will say this if he truely supports this he is no better then bush. looks like he is trying to show he is a strong defensive mind but all i see is a weak back bone.

Educated person wrote,
"he seems to vote against the Republicain stance from time to time."

That was at one time true. Using the standard of frequency of voting with the administration as the standard, 95% in 2007 and 100% in 2008. You are thinking of the McCain at the start of the decade.

One other issue taxes. In 2001 he said the tax cuts were skewed to the rich. The growth in wealth of the top quintile compared to the lower four and particularly the growth in the wealth of the top 1% and .1% has been astronomic. This proves that McCain was right. In 2003 he disagreed with tax cuts when we are fighting a war and we still are and will be if he has his say. John McCain flip-flopped on this issue and changed from being correct to incorrect. I can tolerate flip-flops but not changes that are foolishness.

I am a believer in allowing the ignorant to be themselves as long as they are not hurting anything and when they are you have to clean up after them.

I'm very disappointed by Obama. He's turning into the same as everyone else.

McCain votes yes for this bill and that proves he is McSame. Obama says he would voted yes on the bill, and that proves he is a wonderful and effective politician?

If any of you truly were thinking of voting for Obama and are disillusioned, it's time to get real.
===========================

u need to get real and understand not everyone against Obama is a republican. Your addiction to the kool-aid has clouded your commen sense and judgement.

For those of you who are Republicans complaining about Obama, It's sour grapes from the loser. If any of you truly were thinking of voting for Obama and are disillusioned, it's time to get real. Sure he was wrong and he'll do the politically expedient thing when he finds it's necessary. He is a politician not a saint and he will not be ethically pure, he is a politician. He is a good one which frustrates the Republicans. On the issues he is on the right side, he has demonstrated competence and thoroughness. Because he disappoints you on this issue does not mean that he will chose the expedient way on every issue.

With the gas tax holiday he told the truth. McClain has consistently lied as he panders on the energy issue. Obama's approach is to solving problems which means making compromises. Problems that have not been solved like health care are not going to be solved without compromise. You live in a world with other people who don't necessarily think the way you. You are much better off with Obama in the White House than McCain so get over your moralistic attitude and do something to improve this country. Barack is blessed but he is not an angel.

First off I like most of the people who read and post here DO respect everyones right to form their own opinion, and post their respective thoughts. But please if you are going to rant and rave with rumor and factless drama... this is not the site for you. Whether you are for or against McCain, Obama or whoever, if you are commenting, use factual info and leave the hate at the door.

I am an independant, undisided at that.

On Obama, Opting out of public finacing actually is in line with his CHANGE message. The public finance money is provided to each candidate from the treasury from contributions made by individual tax payers annually when filing taxes. This system is pretty fair yet does but allow people to choose WHO they wish to support. Obama Opted out which allows him to raise funds privately which allows his to POTENTIALLY raise more than the roughly 87 MILLION he would be given through PF. The fact that no candidate sinse 1976 has opted out is not a reason to take it. No candidate sinse 1976 has been able to generate the kind of money to consider it as a choice. That is a FACT. So how does this sit with CHANGE. From early on Obama set strict rules as to who he would accept money from. He stood hard against taking money from lobbist and the like. So limiting his intake to actual US citizens has resulted in over 80% of his donors contributing 200$ or less. This is change because as many politions have said if you take from lobbist enough... you owe them. The only person the president should owe loyalty to is the American people. Not lobbist not companies, and not other politicians. By opting out with the means in place to limit non-citizen influence that IS CHANGE.

On the position of FISA, once again there is a lot of BAD info on the subject. One the current bill is a compromise. It moves closer to the center ( but not in the center) to allow action instead of Stagnation. Two READ OBAMA'S STATEMENT ON THE BILL. It is NOT a glowing indorsement of the bill, he clearly says he is working to REMOVE THE AMNASTY portion of the bill. There is more to it than i'll sign the bill.

On McCain

McCain's support of the bill is seen as some as continued support of President Bush. Perhaps it is, but McCain has defined him self as an advocate of national security. This is in line with his views. McCain's invitation to town hall meeting sounded like a good jesture on the surface, not it seems more like pandering. McCain is rumored to do well in SMALL groups in town hall meetings, but I have seen very little coverage of them on TV. What I have seen is not encouraging for the man "Of Straight Talk" As he didn't answer not ONE of the questions asked of him... he simply turned it into a talking point about his campain, views, or love of the country. That being said McCain is a dynamic and interesting candidate. I would not label him a maverick, but he seems to vote against the Republicain stance from time to time.

Some say McCains call for off shore drilling is a reversal, betrayal, or flip floping. It has been said many times He IS BIG on the environment. I think a call for the drilling was a difficult desission, one that examined the potential for environmental impact, to the results of the last 15 years of not providing new resouces to secure our energy future. Most of us know if they started drilling tomorrow, oil would not make it to our cars for 5 to 7 years MINIMIUM. But the fix to the energy problem is multi-tiered. There is no simple solution, a fix will require short, mid, and long term solutions. Yes, invest in alternative energy, some of it is available now... Most is YEARS even decades a way. Hybrids help some but they dont pull a 20 ton SEMI to the store to supply us. Raising milage standards can promote invention... but can also cripple the auto industry if over done. But the biggest thing to consider is there are 100 million gas/deisel vehicals on the road... if the solution existed to offer a new engine that got 200 mpg... how many of use could afford to do so... your trade would be WORTHLESS, as know one will want anything but 200 MPG. Sure the oil companies will take a hit.. ... I think most of us are willing to live with that, but the fact is it would take many Years, over a decade to replace the currnent autos, and you would STILL NEED GAS. if the vehical was all electric, IT STILL HAS OIL, So new fossil resources will always be needed.
( we also use oil in thousands of other things like rubber)

Finally I hope that my post shows a LITTLE thought went into it using facts as FACTS and stating my opinion clearly as " I THINK, or MY OPINION". And remember there is always more to be researched. I picked a few talking points to discuss.

Remember, Ignorance is no excuse... and rumors have their roots firmly planted in it.

As a recovering Republican, I must show my utter contempt for the Republican Party, their neo-con fascist supporters and their Democrat accomplices. They have sunk to the level of Soviet era politburo members.

Democrats are now serving as enablers and criminal accomplices. This latest piece of Stalinist spyware, (FISA w/ex post facto, telecom immunity), authored by the Bush administration hacks and sheparded through the Congress by Steny Hoyer and the rest of the Democratic leadership is just the latest in our slide toward a police state.

For those diehard Democrats that believe Barak Obama is going to miraculously save the country and convert all the Nancy Pelosis' Steny Hoyers' and the rest into real Democrat Representatives,
there's more bad news.

Obama is reconstituting many of the Clinton admin cronies for his campaign staff and possibly his cabinet.
You remember the Clinton administration cronies dont you? The ones that brought us the Waco Massacre, numerous domestic scandals, the destruction of Yugoslavia and the resultant Bosnian Civil War. The unprovoked and illegal bombing of Kosovo using NATO as cover. The Nato/UN occupation that turned a blind eye to our friends the Kosovo Albanian Mafia's slave trading, drug and weapons smuggling and murder for the last nine years. And more!

Airstrikes on aspirin factories in Karthoum. Weekly airstrikes on Iraq civilian targets for Clinton's entire term of office causing hundreds if not thousands of civilian deaths and billions of $$ of destruction.
Mad Bomber Madeline Albright appears to be heading up Obama's campaign operation. She is (in)famous for stating that 400,000 Iraqi children's deaths as a result of the US controlled Iraq sanctions were "worth it."

I'm afraid that there is nowhere to go for either Democrats or Republicans this November without more of the same and possibly worse. Holding your nose and voting for the lesser of evils won't get it! Lesser of evils is still evil.
It looks like Bob Barr for me. I believe he is also a recovering Republican

It is long past the time to give both the House and the Senate a thorough "House Cleaning." Any Congressman or Senator (one third of the Senate is up for reelection)that has served for more than two terms should be updating their resumes. Maybe they'll find out what it feels like to be a working American in the society and the economy they have created for the rest of us.

Obama, we want a response.

Did You Know Cindy McCain Was A Drug Addict?

Cindy McCain has one hell of a scandal in her past. In the mid-nineties she was addicted to prescription pain killers. Worse, she was stealing the drugs from the American Voluntary Medical Team, a third world relief organization she founded.