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June 20, 2008 Putting Obama and the Dems on the DefensiveBarack Obama and Congressional Democrats find themselves in a no-win situation. We awoke this morning to the reports that a compromise has been reached between the Bush Administration and Congress on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The best reporting that I've seen on this so far is from the Wall Street Journal's Siobhan Gorman (Deal Set on Domestic Spy Powers). The best (and most humorous) analysis that I've see is at RedState by Moe Lane (The FISA Controversy, in tedious Question and Answer form). It really is a win for the Bush Administration, and a loss for the Democrats, including Barack Obama. The Dems have been screaming for years about this illegal domestic spying program -- this bill puts the lie to that theme. It acknowledges that FISA warrants were never before required for eavesdropping suspects overseas, but that with new systems that routes world-wide communications through the United States, it was time to allow for FISA to be updated to reflect the realities of the latest technologies. The government will be allowed, in circumstances that dictate it, immediate authority to commence wiretaps as long as they notify the FISA Court within 7 days. The Court would then have 30 days to approve a warrant, during which time the surveillance can continue. The FISA bill also offers retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies who assisted the federal government post-9/11. The current lawsuits by liberal groups will be allowed to go forward, but will be dismissed upon the production of evidence that the companies were complying with the request of the federal government and the President. As reported in the Wall Street Journal, the problem all along was the liberal base of the Democratic Party, and their minions in Congress:
Note that last section: "One top Democratic lawmaker said the Democrats delayed the announcement by a couple of days, in part to give the presumptive nominee time to assess his position". Barack Obama is a man who wants to be President. Being President means that you have to be able to make split second decisions, yet Obama needed a few days to figure out what his position was! Talk about not ready for prime time... Perhaps Obama is worried about statements of his like this from January, posted by Jane Hamsher on Firedoglake.com:
I'm not sure why Obama needed to figure out his position; he's consistently voted against the revision of FISA for years. So I guess that means that Obama will be voting against this bill. Which would put him at odds with the vast majority of Americans, who supported this so-called "domestic spying" -- even after the New York Times first exposed it. In fact, Americans were supporting the Bush Administration on this issue even in the New York Times' own poll conducted shortly after their 'expose'. Oh wait, since this particular wiretapping issue polls well with the American voters, perhaps he'll flip-flop and vote for the revision this time, saying something along the lines of "this revision isn't the revision that I thought I knew", or some such nonsense. If so, This would be the type of flip-flopping on an issue dear to the Left's cold hearts, along with the Democrats' soon-to-be total capitulation on Iraq war funding, that would enrage their base. And as their base works more on emotion than intellect, they could carry this grudge all the way to election day. That will probably be true on both a Presidential and Congressional level. So Obama and the Democrats are in a no-win situation, no matter how their mainstream media parses it. If they vote against it, they appear even weaker on national security than they already are. If they vote for it, their words and rhetoric are once again proven to be meaningless. As for the Independents on whom it appears Election 2008 will hinge, words matter. Promises matter. And it's becoming more and more apparent that the words and the promises of the Democrats', and in particular Barack Obama's, mean nothing.
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A few days to assess your position??? Are you kidding me??? "Mr President, there are missiles heading for New York! What do you want to do??" "Umm, please give me a few days to assess my position".
Posted by: Bubba's BBQ | June 20, 2008 12:36 PM
If Obama follows his usual routine, He won't vote on the bill. After the vote he will then declare that ha was opposed to the bill.
He's afraid of being on the record
Posted by: Gene | June 20, 2008 12:42 PM
Maybe he'll vote 'Present'. Oh wait...this isn't the Illinois Senate. Tough break.
Posted by: Ron | June 20, 2008 01:19 PM
Er, yeah. Conclusion -- Democrats lose? Good luck with that. Why is this publication called the "American Thinker" again...
Posted by: Anonymous | June 20, 2008 01:49 PM
Guarantee you he won't vote. I hope McCain does. It will make an excellent contrast.
Posted by: Park Slope Pubby | June 20, 2008 01:58 PM
"Let me eat my waffle, can't I just eat my waffle?"
Posted by: Warren B | June 20, 2008 01:58 PM
The mask slips a little further.
BO will do what BO has aways done.
BO will vote for the murder of the people who think like him and look like him. The method is not important. What he says or does is not important. The people that look like him and think like him will always vote for him, no matter what I say. People that look like him and think like him are so far from reality that you can't talk to them on any subject. If I say the sky is blue in New York City they will call me a lie and want to kill me. When a building was bombed in New York City, they told me I was crazy, and I need to get my facts straight. When 3 buildings were reduced to smoking holes in the ground, it was my fault. People that look like him have a nuclear weapon. People that think like him and look like him can tell any lie they want to, but there comes a time, there will be a hard rain come November, if not before. There will be a HARD RAIN in November. Justice will be served. Here is a riddle; "When people that look like him and think like him, bow to the east and look for the New York Times building, and see a smoking hole with a black cloud going up to heaven, will they complain about the lack of New York Times Newspapers on the news stands?" When the HARD RAIN comes and Justice is served, and they are all dead, they still won't blame BO.
Posted by: Houston | June 20, 2008 03:06 PM
'Which would put him at odds with the vast majority of Americans, who supported this so-called "domestic spying" -- even after the New York Times first exposed it. In fact, Americans were supporting the Bush Administration on this issue even in the New York Times' own poll'
Obama will lose the 2008 election by a landslide, anyway. He's a loser.
Posted by: Zbigniew Mazurak | June 20, 2008 03:07 PM
He will be too busy raising money to vote. LOL.
Posted by: Mark | June 20, 2008 03:25 PM
And in a blazing show of intellectual courage, the lone dissenting opinion comes in anonymously. Way to hold the courage of your convictions there, Anonymous.
Posted by: Geoff Gale | June 20, 2008 03:45 PM
The Dems sould'nt get a compromise.The spying was'nt domestic anyway.
Posted by: Will Becker | June 20, 2008 05:40 PM
It was a mistake of the Bush Administration to break the law when FISA could have been used or they could have changed the law to provide some oversight. Any oversight. They chose not to instead making sweeping claims they had executive power and authority from congress.
I for one don't trust the architects of Watergate doing it again. The power to wiretap politicians and blackmail them is too great.
The NSA was authorized by executive order to monitor (without warrants) all phone calls, e-mails, Internet activity, and text messaging, and other communication involving any party believed by the NSA to be outside the U.S., even if the other end of the communication lies within the U.S.
Well there was the problem, and why it was labeled "domestic" spying... someone searching on bbc.com (British) for example under this language makes them fair game as a target. The NSA can spy on pretty much anyone they want to. It was revealed that AT&T allowed the NSA to go into their switch room and forked the data into one of their black box communication relays. They were taking the data stream wholesale domestic or not and then filtering it with a Narus STA 6400.
The issues are always more complicated than the sound bites.
I for one just want checks and balances.
Posted by: AmTn | June 20, 2008 08:39 PM
The MSM will just bury this story, so the Dems aren't embarrassed any more than they already are. Same with the funding for the war. Ho-hum, it's the weekend. Bush wins! Some Lame Duck.
Posted by: Eva Damato | June 20, 2008 09:51 PM
Er, Anonymous...do you even have a cogent thought to offer? Yeah, it's called "American Thinker" (emphasis on Thinker) for a reason. Now, you wanna' take another whack at it? Or, perhaps you need some time to assess your situation...
Posted by: Blutarsky | June 21, 2008 12:12 AM
It's understandable that Obama would need a few days to assess this important matter. After all, his Imam will be busy with prayers all weekend.
Posted by: Zen Man | June 21, 2008 12:14 AM
I think Obama doesn't know what he thinks. His handlers and supporters will have to say. I think he will vote against the bill next week. He needs to shore-up his progressive creds. After all, he's taken some major hits this week.
Posted by: candymarl | June 21, 2008 02:56 AM
how anyone can say we are not in a war with the Islamic terrorists are either on something or brain dead. what do we wait for another twin towers before the left realizes that we have to do what we have to do to beat them and to drive them from the caves and where ever they are at in to the sunshine of truth and innocence .I hope and I change and yes we can defeat this Obama at the polls all is needed is the old people who remember this country as a vibrant shinning city on the hill, we are still the majority here, so wake up get up and go vote this November or we will face some drastic changes to our world as we know it and have known it. .
Posted by: Ken Roberts | June 21, 2008 09:42 AM
I don't think this will turn out to be a no-win for Obama. An actual Obama-ite told me that when he flip-flops, he's simply recognizing that his past position is no longer valid and said Obama-ite is proud that he(Obama) has the humility necessary to change his mind, unlike the evil Bush. They're remarkably deluded.
Posted by: Austin | June 21, 2008 11:06 AM
"And it's becoming more and more apparent that the words and the promises of the Democrats', and in particular Barack Obama's, mean nothing."
You can insert "any Democrat presidential candidate for the last 40 years" in place of "Barack Obama" and it has been apparent for a long, long time.
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