Truthout Original

Dear Senator Obama

by: Marc Ash, t r u t h o u t | An Open Letter

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(Illustration: Paul Giambarba /
t r u t h o u t)

    Dear Senator Obama,

    I just slogged through a lecture by The New York Times about how it is the "far left" that is most offended by your vote to ratify retroactive immunity for the US telecommunications companies that provided aid and comfort to George W. Bush's illegal program of domestic spying. Further, The Times implied, "mainstream Democrats" take a more mature and pragmatic view. The piece seemed to read like public relations material. But that's silly - it was news, of course.

    In fairness, the political center moves around more than a set of goalposts on the White House lawn. So, the relevancy of the Times's argument has a limited shelf life regardless. The real issue is twofold.

    Trust and the Law

    Let's assume the time has come to limit the scope of your campaign signs to the word "Change." The tag line "... we can believe in" has outlived its credibility. You may indeed change some things, but there won't be much to believe in. It will pretty much be on a case-by-case basis from this point forward. The difference is trust. Before you had it, now you don't.

    The problem is that what was at stake in the FISA legislation vote was more than a political ideal; it was the rule of law. You ratified an unconstitutional and egregious degradation of the Fourth Amendment. That won't go away easily. The United States's Constitution is not merely the security blanket for "civil liberties groups." It is the birthright of all Americans. It is our national treasure.

    The thing that jumps out at me when I review the reader comments posted at the bottom of our article pages is the mounting outrage at what can only be described as lawlessness in our nation's capitol. There is a growing consensus that the consent of the governed is lacking. That may not sound like a big thing, but I assure you it is. The alternative to the rule of law is the law of rule.

    The current commander in chief has established a function of monarchy in the oval office. Would you choose to undo that, or assume it? If the decision to ratify FISA was not your own inspiration, then at whose behest did you do so? And what next will they want? These are deep questions.

    We are a nation today dying of convenience, political convenience, chiefly. In 2000, we were a nation rushing to put hanging chads behind us. Dealing with what really happened in Florida was inconvenient. Seven and a half years later, we are still paying the debt. We are in a bloody and endless quagmire in Iraq, the nation's economy is in ruins and the greatest threat to freedom and democracy comes from our own leaders.

    The New York Times and much of the nation's commercial press make defining the "center" the focal point, the principal instrument of their brand of political activism. The "center" becomes the popular thing, what everyone is thinking, what we should be thinking. But that assumes that you don't have a loved one deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan, or that you are not facing foreclosure on your home, or trying to get medical treatment your health maintenance organization says you can't have. Then you won't be fooled. Take note, that group is growing everyday.

    All things of political concern to individual citizens in this country taken into consideration, one has to wonder if the commercial press isn't really defining the center as the center point between powerful commercial interests and the interests of individuals.

    A Landslide for Change

    We already had one landslide for change in this country: the 2006 Congressional elections. In fairness, the US occupation of Iraq was the primary impetus for change there, but by no means the only. When you think about it, you really can't get a landslide out of the far left, even if you throw in civil liberties groups. The numbers just aren't there. You have to have the center. So, if the center voted to end the US occupation of Iraq, how would the center vote on retroactive immunity for the telecommunications companies, who participated in spying on the center?

    For a leader, principle is terra firma (solid earth). Pragmatism places one foot on a slippery slope. Opportunism is descent. And Machiavelli waits at the bottom.

    Choose wisely, Mr. Obama.

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You can send comments to Truthout Executive Director Marc Ash at: director@truthout.org.

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Obama = Clinton 2 The

Obama = Clinton 2 The powermasters have become once again transparent to those with good critical thinking skills. Obama's job was to bring the left back into the Democratic fold but now is blatantly, sloppily showing his true colors. They seem to forget that we went through the Clinton betrayal and are very alert to the clues. The first clue was Obama and the media's trashing of Rev. Wright and it all went downhill from there. Yes my friends Obama is indeed just another version of Bill Clinton. Vote for Nader or vote for the Green Party. It's the only way a liberal can keep their self respect. Screw the Republicrats.

to pallas athena: this is no

to pallas athena: this is no longer about voting for a president anymore. It's about getting the damn country back. I voted for Gore in 2000. What did it get me? Squat. As somebody else pointed out, the Dems would like us to think we have a Hobson's choice of the lesser of 2 evils & to just hold our collective noses & vote. This is BS. As long as we continue to vote for their bs candidates, we will continue to get same old same old. We've been down this road before. You do know the definition of insanity, don't you? It's past time to try a new tack. Presidents come & go every 4 to 8 years. Congress is what we need to target. The best way to fix Congress, imho, is to throw another party in the mix. The way to do that is for another party's Presidential candidate to get 5% of the vote in a Presidential election. This is your true choice: you can either hold your nose & vote, & continue to send this country down it's corrupt path to god knows what. Or you can take a chance on Cynthia, & help the Greens get their 5%. If enough of us did this, we could actually affect some real change for once.

as for reconsidering my vote, there's nothing to reconsider. I have never had to hold my nose & vote & I'm not gonna start doing it this year. I sincerely hope nobody else does either.

Obama's FISA vote and the

Obama's FISA vote and the way the Democratic congress always caves and gives this corrupt preznut anything he wants has caused me to change my status from Democrat to Independent. I am seriously considering alternate presidential contenders. From what I have seen since we elected a majority to congress and having Obama lie to us about FISA I am really having a hard time seeing any difference between the Democratic and Republican parties. They both try to sell themselves by pandering to different people to get into office so they can take advantage to all the perks including giving themselves hefty pay raises and selling their votes for more perks. When it all comes down to what we get, the majority are a bunch of lying thugs who don't give a rats ass about the constitution or bill of rights. Obama or McCain, Republican or Democratic congress, all the same. At one time there were differences but politics is so corrupt that it is all about power and money for them, not those of us who work to hold this country together. I had high hopes for Obama. While he was working for our donations and our votes he tickled our ears. Now he will tickle the ears of whomever has the most money and we all know it is not the average US citizen. It just didn't take long to corrupt him I guess.

The Truth is worth

The Truth is worth knowing. The burdcns of a Criminal Case far exceed those of a Civil one so at best your vote has added to the problems of finding out the truth of the domestic spying. That is what the public wants and deserves. The Truth of the nature and dimensions of the illegal actions of the Bush Administration. Why did our chief Spook and the Attorney General make such a demand that this section be excised from the FISA legislation. If it stayed would we find uncover their possible treachery and the abandonment of their vows to support the Constitution. Now, we may never know. Not honorable Barrack.

Also, in addition to my

Also, in addition to my "catch 22" thoughts. I remember early on Obama taking over a MySpace account, I know a lot of people let it go, and even I said I'd let it go, but at the time it raised red flags for me. Now with FISA more red flags are raised. Even if our votes are counted (which you can not prove by validation) I honestly can't say I support Obama. And for a small while I did support him. Now I see comments of people not being able to get meaningful feedback. More red flags. To be clear, McCaine is not an option. But IS Obama?!

Obama's vote for FISA is the

Obama's vote for FISA is the most frustrating thing since electronic vote tabulation devices. It closes the corruption accountability loop. We can't get you RATS out, and we can't ORGANIZE to force you out, a giant catch 22. To further infuriate by telling folks they don't have another choice, in other words vote Obama, Hobson's Choice. Puts us in a far more dangerous situation than it's PR spin presents. Obama wasn't my first choice for candidate, after my 1st and subsequent choices were incrementally eliminated by the fascist corporate media, I settled with Obama. But after FISA, to be honest, I don't know if I even want to vote at all anymore, and alternatively I think maybe if I just sit back and wait instead until some RAT breaks the constitution against me personally, then take direct action against that specific situation.

To those who think voting

To those who think voting for Obama would be choosing the lesser of two evils and insist that the right thing to do is to vote for a third party candidate, I am an Independent and just want to say that if you had voted for Al Gore in 2000, we wouldn't be in Iraq right now. That's what you get when you let the greater evil win because of your principles. No, I don't think Nader voters caused Gore's defeat; there's so much that went into that debacle. However, I personally know Nader voters who later regretted their decision, and I think there are enough of them (not to mention those that were fooled into voting for dubya) that the person who was elected president in 2000 would have been the same person who was sworn in in 2001, we would not now be at war in Iraq, Afghanistan would be a far more peaceful place, and hundreds of thousand of American (and millions of Iraqi) lives would not have been destroyed or damaged. I fervently hope that someone from Senator Obama's office reads this letter and these comments and that those who have been turned off by Obama's vote on the FISA bill and those who are considering voting for a third party re-evaluate their decisions.

any chance we can make the

any chance we can make the Dems draft Dennis for Prez?

That said I agree with Arika comletely. you Obozos need to either quit your whining or put your votes where your whining mouths are. Contrary to what y'all have been brainwashed to believe, we do have more than 2 choices on the ballot. May I suggest we all pull together & choose Cynthia McKinney this fall? If she gets just 5% of the vote the Greens will become a legit Major Party. If having another party to contend with doesn't make the Dems straighten up & fly proper I don't know what will. And if they don't, who cares? We'll have our own voice at the table thru a party that will run true progressives for office. High flippin time too.

Yes. Vote Green! Do not be

Yes. Vote Green! Do not be cowed into voting for those who talk of homeland security yet have not taken the time to write a law that keeps lead out of children's toys. What kind of culture allows lead in children's toys? Vote Green! Vote for a real future. Garrett

I think people are

I think people are overreacting to the revised FISA bill. Most of what I have found on it states that it only grants telecoms civil immunity. Nothing in it really solidly gives the telecom companies any other form of immunity, nor does it necessarily grant those in power immunity from prosecution once they are out of office. I find it disheartening that a single issue, even one that has so much to do with the rule of law, can turn people away from the single ray of light that has shone through these last eight years of darkness. I realize that many of our leaders - Democrats and Republicans alike - have let the American people down and been derelict in their duties. But has it gotten so bad that we turn on the one good thing we have going because he makes one decision we don't agree with? It is such an amazing and historic time we are living in, and people are willing to give up on this moment, give up on hope and truth and change because of one single issue. Obama has not betrayed anyone's trust. How could he, if you never trusted him to begin with? That people are so willing to turn on him, to take his lawn sign down, to proclaim that he has lost their vote, to not have the faith that once elected he will do what is right, this shows that you had no faith or trust in the man to begin with, and if that is the case then perhaps Obama does not need your vote this November. But he still has my vote, and my trust that we can get our country back on the right path. One man isn't going to set things right, folks, we all have to be in this together.

Giving in and voting for the

Giving in and voting for the lesser of two evils is the same as his "yea" vote. If you are voting for him anyway, don't make us read your grumbling! You're selling out just like he did! That means that most of the people in this country are sell-outs. So like attracts like. We don't get to bitch about our leaders unless we are BETTER, have MORE courage than they!!! If you can't do better than they, shut the hell up. Look in the mirror, and start working on improving your own actions and integrity. And I am taking my own advice. I look in the mirror every day. I drive less, try to be aware of when I'm thinking people are in MY way, like who the hell am I that I have a right to think that? It's not MY freeway, it's OUR freeway. We are all responsible, so we all have to look at ourselves, not THEM. The world, all its resources, does not belong to the US, even though we all behave like they do belong to us. Resources, people, all fodder for Corporate America, and we buy their crap, so we are part of the problem, not the solution! If WE aren't willing to change, we have to stop expecting better of THEM, because they reflect us!

OBama has betrayed our

OBama has betrayed our trust. Draft Joe Biden in Denver. All support should be withdrawn.

This just goes to show that

This just goes to show that Obama is for change. Small change for us & the big dollars remaining with the unethical, corrupt corporations. Down with the illegal Federal Reserve, IRS, military-industrial complex, paid lobbyists, double think tanks & a US GOVERNMENT run on corrupt blood for oil, cocaine & opium lined 3 piece suited money laundering, for us or against us politics.

What everyone who votes for

What everyone who votes for Obama fails to realize is that McSame is no different than Obama. they are both bought and sold by the same corporate interests and to think differently is by definition insanity. Do some research into this foreign policy advisor (hint: Zbigniew Brzezinski) and see if this is an "anti-war" policy or anything but American Hegemony.

After reading all the

After reading all the comments about this article, I am changing my opinion. Obama should have voted no to the fisa bill. I am still voting for him because voting for a third party candidate will be a vote for McSame and I don't mind having a lesser boll weevil.

Well said. I'm a

Well said. I'm a 51y.o.-white-male-Navy-veteran from Arizona. I am also what has come to be termed an Obamican. I suppose I am the voter that Senator Obama's "move to the center" is targeting. If that is the case, his handlers don't have a clue. When I joined the Navy I pledged ". . . to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution . . ."; a pledge he should recognize. His disregard of that pledge has turned me from an unabashed supporter, to someone who will vote for him through clenched teeth.

Any chance we can get

Any chance we can get Hillary back?

Idealism is terrific, but it

Idealism is terrific, but it doesn't win elections in America. Without power, there is no change. If you are to be a change agent, you must survive. Life is full of compromises. Each one posting here has made one or two in their lives. In this presidential campaign, a well-known arena of anything goes pragmatism, it seems odd to hear the wailing of idealism, especially while Rome burns, and especially on this issue. If you think things will get better by maintaining the status quo or voting for another imagined pristine candidate, think again.This ship of state is one iceberg away from becoming Titanic II. While I too am disappointed in the FISA vote, I don't have all the facts behind it. (and neither does any poster here, for that matter). Squander opportunity if you will, but this is not the issue that I'm going to fall on my sword over.

I never stopped saying that

I never stopped saying that Obama is NOTHING like what all the fools said. There was one or two truly great candidates in both parties. Ron Paul in the reps and Mike Gravel. maybe Kucinich even. BUT none of the media endorsed candidates were anything but more of the same old same old.

Arika stated "I didn't trust

Arika stated "I didn't trust Obomba because he didn't worry the corporate media." Just wanted to say THANK YOU for saying it so perfectly! I am shocked at how many 'open minded' people cant see this...The down side is that if anyone thinks that Obama has not already been crowned President all they need to do is see the media's glorification of him. He will be president bcz our 'minders' have decided it long ago. There is a plan B, of course, that will be put into effect if it looks like Obama's campaign ios collapsing. Both plans spell disaster for the Nation and the World.

It's diffiicult enough to go

It's diffiicult enough to go down the 911 truth rabbit hole and learn about the history of false flag terror...but when the reality of disastor capitalism, deep governments, illegal drug/weapon sales/money laundering hits you , it becomes overwhelming and very difficult to trust anyone. I feel like I'm living in a nightmare version of the Truman Show. I tried to support Obama after Kucinich and Edwards dropped out, but what little hope I had is gone. For the most part even "progressive" media talks as if Bush "won" two elections because Gore and Kerry had poor campaigns and treats the millions of people who are not buying into the government's 911 conspiracy theory as nuts. It's like living in a family where sexual abuse is denied/ignored by everyone, including the victims.

Well said, Marc Ash! I

Well said, Marc Ash! I cannot say it better. Obama has demonstrated to everyone that he is capable of lying - just like most politicians. He can back track his own words in exchange for political expedience. I have taken down Obama sign off my lawn and have stopped all campaign support for him, including the cancellation of my $1,000 check. Then again, Obama does not need my money. He gets all he wants from the telcom companies he's done 'favors' to. The US has nothing to be proud of any more.

Of course it was an

Of course it was an important vote. Maybe too important. No one's mentioning the Wellstone scenario. What if the malfunction that caused the unscheduled landing in St. Louis last week was a warning? What would you do if you were Obama and you knew that it was a warning? Is it worth risking the death of the movement you are trying to build (not to mention the devastation to your daughters) just to make a point? Obama knows we don't have his back. If we had the necessary courage, we would have been in the streets when Wellstone was killed. But no, we all pretend it was pilot error, because if we admitted otherwise, well, we'd have to do something about it, wouldn't we? So Obama has to factor in what would happen if his plane went down. Would the movement just fizzle? A good community organizer doesn't take on battles that he knows the community hasn't built enough strength yet to win. When Obama says it's not about him, it's about us, he's not kidding. He can't do much so long as we are cowed. We should stop mooing about this vote (and no, I don't like it either) and start looking in the mirror.

For those who feel they must

For those who feel they must choose McCain or obama, you do that. For those like myself, who believe we must NOT vote for either, but rather vote for a candidate who supports the Constitution, we are voting for what we believe in-America under the law. Since when is that a foolish thing to do? Oh yeah, a vote not for one is a vote for the other. If that is the "Honest" truth, why are there more than two-names on the ballot for President every four years? What am I missing? Right, third parties never win. Glad Lincoln stayed a Whig...

We've been played. They set

We've been played. They set us up, raising our hopes, so they could be dashed and we'd all retreat into cynicism and despair - disillusioned, disengaged, disempowered, and politically disorganized. We were drawn in, believing we would be delivered from the rise of fascism, only to be shown that their reality is the only reality. We can't give in. The reality is that the United States are irreparably divided. Let the red states have their "security" and the blue states have freedom. The Constitution that bound us has been broken. We the people made it, and we the people can unmake it. Instead of lobbying our representatives to impeach, let us lobby them for state independence.

Increase you're

Increase you're contributions to progressive causes. Help elect legislators to keep a check on him, BUT remember another 4 years of Bush and we lose the court for decades.

Well, I stopped voting for

Well, I stopped voting for the lesser of two evils in 2000. I didn't trust Obomba because he didn't worry the corporate media. Ralph can't get air-time, you don't see Cynthia McKinney on TV, that's a simple way to figure out who is trustworthy. John Edwards was good, but the corporate media took him out because he made it clear who he was intending to work for: us. I would have voted for him, but then I never would have had the opportunity. I'm voting for Ralph. I think voting for third parties is the best way to let these bastards know who's boss, and that we are done buying their BS. Just because Dems are considered the liberals doesn't make it so. Look at their votes and with whom they meet (referring to Obomba and McClinton's grovelling to AIPAC), if you want to see their real loyalties. Look into HR 847 and 1955. Google them, and pay attention. And look into who voted for them! Cowards! And you still think voting for the lesser of two evils is the best choice? WTF is wrong with your mind? If you're too scared to vote for someone you trust and believe in, don't expect politicians to have more balls than you.

It has happened before and

It has happened before and it will happen again.... Until we take personal responsibility for our own Country. There are many forms of denial all at varying degrees of strength. The main points of these varying degrees start with the stay the course mode, the I believe someone will save us from ourselves mode and the I don't care it is all BS mode. My intention is not to downplay belief but those who did put their energy into Obama with little information besides a sound bite (change) have committed to this fallacy that will soon play out again. It is imperative to actually right these problems rather than talk about who is evil or who is good. With that in mind I wonder if we can learn our lessons. I am sure many of you supporting either side of these coming elections heard a few people around you tell you that the entire system is rigged. We have never lived in a democracy. And Obama is going to do nothing different if elected. So now we stand at a place where we can learn. So the question is now that you have seen factual not theoretical evidence that Obama will be the same ole same ole I wonder if you will listen to the people who forsaw this when the entire change charade was playing out before our eyes. Will you listen to the truth sayers or will you just dump your responsibility on yet another elected official. Even if a president was the most benevolent being in the universe they could not remedy the problems we are facing in this Country nor would they be able to navigate the utterly corrupt and elite system that has hijacked our own ownership. There is only one post in here that is looking to a future solution and that is the one declaring it is time we build our own communities grow our own food and ultimately just turn away from the ruling classes. They have more than enough time to know exactly how this is all playing out in the future and the pony show they are displaying is only a ruse for the infighting going on inside the power scheme over who gets to go to the islands and who gets to go the bunkers. If we truly want to remedy the problems in our Country we will begin with ourselves. It is time we put aside the denial mask and put the truth one on. We do not get along with our neighbors, we do not talk to one another, we believe in game show hosts celebrities political elites and famous sports heroes instead of believing in ourselves. The current crisis in our governance is a direct result of our own behavior. We have passed off responsibility so many times that we do not even know what it means to take ownership of our communities, our own lands or our own person. The demons playing out the role of evil before us are merely a microcosm of all the skeletons we have shoved into our closets. When we realize this and when we realize we are the force that keeps the status quo in a never ending loop by ceding our power to two supposed polar opposites. To conclude and this statement might seem extreme but unless we as a societal body take our own personal responsibility for the evils that plague our world we will need even greater evil to force a correction. At current since the signs and truths were ignored again we may need a president Mc Cain to bring even greater clarity to our wholesale ignorance and denial. This does not mean that in the interim we can not create local solutions to this great serpent coursing through our streets but it does mean that as a collective we failed again to see the larger perspective that would have freed us from the chains that bind. Pay attention to people who "don't make sense" they may be foretelling of the future. Recognize that the average person is united in the most high of causes and start looking at the world in similarities rather than differences. Look in the mirror and realize real change begins within and there is no one person that can fix the problems we are facing. good luck all, this is going to be one hell of a ride.

> Choose wisely, Mr.

> Choose wisely, Mr. Obama. This shouldn't even be a matter of 'choosing', this should be an automatic instinctive choice resulting in doing 'the right thing'. I'm not happy we're sliding down another 'cult of personality' slope.

Note well: the mainstream

Note well: the mainstream press gave Obama a fairly easy ride during his campaign, and a lot of attention (compare it to all candidates other than Clinton). Did it ever occur to anyone else that he was the candidate that the Republicans wanted to run against? Many elements make him beatable, including the tremendous promise of change that he represented. All they would have to do would be to dash this sense of promise and millions of citizens hoping for change would be once again disillusioned, and would likely not show up to vote, perhaps for several election cycles to come. Meanwhile, the stalwart Republicans would vote for "security" and the stage would be set for invading Iran. It may be that Clinton was right; we need someone who can fight dirty without pretending to do otherwise. A little stain on pure, clean dress shirt is far more disheartening than any stain on a tired old work shirt. Believe me, if Obama hadn't already sold out, he wouldn't be where he is. If we want to keep McCain out of the White House, bring back the tired old work shirt.

Consider this case scenario:

Consider this case scenario: Suppose Obama supported a filibuster and stopped this FISA abomination. Then consider "another" black flag operation happening soon after. At that point we would be burning Obama in effigy while the real criminals, Bush+co go on Scot Free saying over and over again, we told you so. Meanwhile our still terrorized population willingly allows them to suspend elections and declare Bush king for life or at the very least allow McCain to waltz into the White House. Either way the neocons win and we lose. We would get more done by declaring a sit down strike, refusing to work until gas prices go down. Hell at this point we may soon have to do that anyway! We'll have no other choice! Regardless of who becomes president, the fight for our civil liberties will continue indefinitely. At the very least we have a good opportunity to punish the republicans, even if it is only a symbolic punishment. Like many in here I too have considered voting for Nader. In fact I voted for Dennis Kucinich in the primary, not Obama. But if we do go the third party rout, do any of you believe for a moment the republicans wouldn't be ecstatic? Their constituents will always vote for them. They were calling McCain too liberal and even a traitor a few years ago and now he's their Jesus Christ! They will remain loyal to any republican no matter what, even if they hate his guts(and they now love McCain)! Picture Republican presidents over and over, only this time with the knowledge they can tramples us all they wish and get away with it regardless of what we the victims do! There is no doubt their hidden chant to us is: Yes! Vote for Nader! Our political durability depends upon it! Make no mistake, another neocon victory will only embolden them further. The answer is to remove them from office the best and most logical way we can! Do that for ten years and the republicans will be courting the Green Party and every other progressive in the nation just to get their foot back in the door! Meanwhile join the PDA and help get progressive democrats elected. And if Obama doesn't live up to our expectations, vote his ass out too! I'd rather deal with 4 years of Obama than 12 years of Bush and that is what we'll get if progressives suddenly abandon him and vote for the ever losing and no chance in hell, "oh no not that guy again," Ralph Nader!

I predict that Senator Obama

I predict that Senator Obama will have a front row seat to the complete demise of his campaign. He has done irreparable harm to himself and there is nothing he can do to fix it. A reversal of his positions only strengthens McCain. The Democratic base is unenthusiastic and uninspired at this point. I canvassed in Ohio in 12 inches of snow for Obama and I feel now like it was just a waste of my time. The thought of canvassing my neighborhood today just leaves me cold. And money-why continue to fund another corporate mouthpiece? George Carlin was right-if voting really mattered they wouldn't let you do it. REVOLUTION.

I am spinning. Is Obama

I am spinning. Is Obama doing what he needs to do to become president - and is he still the good person he seemed to be? - or is it all about power and nothing about principle? I am absolutely DISGUSTED at Democrats playing to the extreme right, when the right does not come close to representing the majority of Americans. What brain-dead fools are advising these candidates? I will vote for Obama - there needs to be a landslide to make it quite difficult for the computer manipulators to fiddle with the results. McCain is no better than Bush - and, unbelievably, might even be worse! We all need to work together to bring back the Constitution. That means voting for Obama and then being indefatigable and deafening in our demand for the rule of law to be re-estsablished. One more term of Republicans will be the certain death of the United States. Bush has already riddled the democracy with worms that are eating through the integrity of this nation. Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Liberals, Conservatives, Progressives - we must all stand together to restore respect for the Constitution and the rule of law. If we allow it to be taken from us, what are we?

i have read many of the

i have read many of the comments regarding this piece and i am amazed at how many people don't seem to think that upholding the rule of law, never mind the constitution, is important. apparently it's more important to get elected by any means necessary, and judging from some of the comments, appealing to "the center" means the rule of law only applies to the little people because if it comes down to upholding the law or getting elected, well, getting elected is clearly more important. my biggest objection to his fisa vote is that he's abandoning the rule of law. it's okay to break the law if you're a big corporation or a rich executive (the president made me do it!), but if you're a poor kid who never had a chance slinging drugs on the corner, you can look forward to 10 - 25 years in maximum security. if the rule of law isn't upheld where the hell is the social contract? it's in the gutter, along with the shreds of that "piece of paper". the insult to injury is it was bad enough when it was bush and his cronies shoving this crap down our throats, but now it's the person who's supposed to be the alternative doing it? a self-righteous hypocrite is simply more than i can stomach, and that's what mr. obama is.

Frankly, I think you were

Frankly, I think you were much too kind to Obama in this letter. I cannot see his vote as anything other than a complete and utter sellout.

After all the promises, it

After all the promises, it turns out that Obama is just another politician, at heart no different from McBush. Obama has lost my vote. It's as simple as that.

To Lois Lane: What in the

To Lois Lane: What in the world is "soft on terror" supposed to mean? ("He absolutely cannot appear to be soft on terror.") It means whatever the neocons want it to mean. If we keep on accepting such characterizations, they will continue creatively defining them. Telecom immunity has nothing to do with terror (just as the Patriot Act had nothing whatsoever to do with patriotism). Voting in FEAR is the very definition of terror.

The assumption is that 'the

The assumption is that 'the center', along with those making this inane assumption, somehow despises the 4th amendment. What next. Does Obama also believe that 'the center' hates its own freedoms? What kind of deranged people are these anyway? Of course if Obama wants to be a Monarch the Constitution might just as well be "just a Godammed piece of paper" as it appears to be for our present idiot Emperor. After all, it does get in the way with its protections and guarantees for the rabble.

Thank you Marc. If there is

Thank you Marc. If there is hope for the human race to survive another generation, it may well lie with Obama. There's no time to generate a viable third party candidate. If BushCheneyLiebermanHagee get their way and we start war in Iran, it probably won't matter anyway. I'm glad I don't have any children to apologize to.

HIt post before I was done.

HIt post before I was done. For those looking for someone to believe in - vote but verify. Make sure they know what you want, what you believe in, but more importantly - what the costs will be. The crooks must be arrested. We have the right to know what our government is doing. We have to take our country back from the self-dealing, slime balls before it's not worth getting back. And for the "respect" - If you are going to put your trust in a politician, they have to 1) respect your power 2) understand your desires. 3) believe they work for you

@new to this site see

@new to this site see quote below... ". He absolutely cannot appear to be soft on terror. 2. He couldn't not vote. 3. He may be protecting higher up Dems. And more importantly, he can't do anything to overturn this bill unless he gets elected." " So, by inference you are saying Chris Dodd is soft on terror? And what "higher up Dems" are you talking about? Higher up than who? He can do or could have done a lot to stop this bill: filibuster as he promised to do when he wanted our primary votes. And also, this is not about left or liberal blah blah blah center blah blah blah it's about the Constitution and our freedoms. If anything that's downright conservative.

Marc and Truthout folks, and

Marc and Truthout folks, and concerned Americans reading this post - First, thanks for a nuanced and realistic assessment. I enjoy reading the perceptions. Let's turn them into defending the constitution, shall we? Second, please don't go down the rabbit hatch that Moveon.Org did - I refer to the" Inside the Beltway" banality that sucked their skulls after three or four cocktail parties with 'playas' about the Non-binding Resolution BS. Third, most of the heat of this FISA bill posting is a lot of "bringing a knife to a gunfight." "statement of concern" non-binding resolution, "outrage and dismay" - How precious, how quaint, how essentially impotent. They can't hear you gnashing your teeth when you're already down to the gums. Do something! Write somebody. Make a sign, picket the phone company, change your carrier, sue the phone companies, join EFF and ACLU, and make the leaders follow - they will, if you make it binding, painful and inevitable. WTF! This is a criminal conspiracy of the first magnitude who would sweep innocent people off the street, torture and deny basic rights of redress such as habeas corpus. WAKE UP!

Thanks Mark. Only problem

Thanks Mark. Only problem with your letter is it had no teeth. Obama's response is predictable: "So what? I can do whatever I want. I'm your only choice." In fact, numerous commenters have said the same thing right here. They've said, look everyone, just shut up because he's our only choice. WAKE UP EVERYONE! You have been duped by the Republicrats. They are NOT your only choices. RALPH NADER has 6% of polled voters' support. Once he gets 10%, he gets into the Google debates. At that point Obama and McCain have NO chance of winning, unless they rig the machines again. But Nader, unlike Gore, won't back down from challenging a fraudulent election.

"For a leader, principle is

"For a leader, principle is terra firma... Pragmatism places one foot on a slippery slope. Opportunism is descent. And Machiavelli waits at the bottom." I have added the name of Obama to the Bush, Pelosi, Reid firm of prevaricators entrenched in DC. Fool me once, etc. The Torture, Rapine, International Terrorism Complex which the USA has perfected in its quest for (a failed) planetary supremacy is still promoted by the gang of tuxedoed thugs prancing around Washington's imperial setting. See you all in the International Human Rights Violators dock. Ciao.

Choosing the Lesser of 2

Choosing the Lesser of 2 evils is still choosing evil. In my youth I believed that if one did not vote one gave up one's right to complain. Now, I see that sometimes there is no choice but to not support either candidate. I supported Obama, and now I am ashamed that I was hoodwinked by his smooth talk. I can not, in good conscience vote for a person who has voted to restrict or reduce my constitutional rights. How could I believe that such a person would "uphold the constitution?" At this point I am ready to vote for anyone but either of the presumptive nominees. So now comes the new option -- draft Reid and Pelosi or Reid and Hillary. An when all else fails, write in or vote 3rd party. Doing so does not "throw away" your vote, but rather opens up the dialog. If any 3rd party candidate gets enough votes to register a blip, the discussion in DC will change, party positions will change. That will be change that we can believe in.

I was giddy with hope for

I was giddy with hope for our country when Obama began to overtake Hillary. She's a dangerous lady. That hope has been shattered and I am angry with myself that I gave this man money. This FISA disaster is so huge that even those of us who have read it and think we understand it will be shocked at the rebound. George Bush and Co. have had too many years to initiate the destruction of our democracy; with this bill it is inevitable. I am angry with Americans who sit and worry about their personal problems - do they not see where they originate - and that 'we the people' actually have the power in numbers to change this?? Why so apathetic? Ashamed of voting for GW? WE do not have to sheep-like go down this path saying there is nothing we can do. Start small. Protest. Write letters - but most of all TALK to neighbors, friends, family - damn strangers. Shake things up. However inevitable this path is purported to be, or how 'End of Days' you believe it - fight it! Read Harry Potter again!

Read the comments Obama.

Read the comments Obama. read them and weep!

Well, here it begins. Obama

Well, here it begins. Obama is going to sell black Americans and by extension, "all Americans" (to use a phase he is so fond of to denoted that he for all us) "down the river." He is the person the military industrial complex, multi-national corporations, and the global financial institutions chose to get the job done. Americans think the times are going to be better:"Change we can believe in"only means that our government is exchanging one pharaoh for another, except this one is extremely charming, intelligent, and good looking. My only fear is that Obama has the potential to be an even worst nightmare than George W. Bush. It matter if we elect him or not, the decision about who will be U.S. president was decided years ago and the votes are just going alone for the "dog and pony show."

Pander to the

Pander to the religionistas; get 50 million bucks or so from lobbyists; load up those church buses; dash to Denver; rah-rah stadium party; back to ignoring and undercutting The Constitution and Progressive principles. Obama, Pelosi, Reid, ... are far more dangerous than McCain, Pelosi, Reid, .... H.R.C. 2012 (2008 would be better)

...from the moment I heard

...from the moment I heard Senator Barack Obama as the key-note speaker for the Democratic National Convention in 2004, I was a believer. I remembered flipping stations to take stock, even then, of "who" was already concerned about his undeniable voice for the people. The only channel that showed his speech in its entirety was PBS. Ironically, this was a first. As far as I can recall, during the conventions, the key-note speaker always got at least some air play. I am a simple American who has always voted. I feel the powers that be have gotten to a point where they are virtually untouchable with regards to how far they will go to suppress our voices. I am not excusing Senator Obama's vote, just deeply disturbed by why it happened in the first place. . I truly believe THERE IS NO END to the ways in which he will and has been marginalized. I believed in Senator Obama then and I believe in him now. Turning away in disgust is human. Abandoning your vote is inexcusable.

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