In 4-month timespan, Obama, made of clay, drastically changes stance on FISA

Obama now supports telecom immunity. I quote a June 20 Washington Post article : "'Given the legitimate threats we face, providing effective intelligence collection tools with appropriate safeguards is too important to delay. So I support the compromise, but do so with a firm pledge that as president, I will carefully monitor the program,' Obama said in a statement hours after the House approved the legislation 293-129."

Now, from the Obama Senate.gov webpage, dated February 2008:

OBAMA STATEMENT ON FISA

Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Michael Ortiz, 202 228 5566

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today released the following statement on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Earlier today, Senator Obama voted in favor of the Dodd-Feingold amendment to repeal retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies (S. Amdt. 3907). He also supported other amendments to improve the bill, including the Feingold-Webb-Tester amendment to protect Americans from unwarranted surveillance (S. Amdt. 3979), and the Feingold amendment to protect Americans from the bulk collection of communications (S. Amdt. 3912).

"I am proud to stand with Senator Dodd, Senator Feingold and a grassroots movement of Americans who are refusing to let President Bush put protections for special interests ahead of our security and our liberty. There is no reason why telephone companies should be given blanket immunity to cover violations of the rights of the American people - we must reaffirm that no one in this country is above the law.

"We can give our intelligence and law enforcement community the powers they need to track down and take out terrorists without undermining our commitment to the rule of law, or our basic rights and liberties. That is why I am proud to cosponsor several amendments that protect our privacy while making sure we have the power to track down and take out terrorists.

"This Administration continues to use a politics of fear to advance a political agenda. It is time for this politics of fear to end. We are trying to protect the American people, not special interests like the telecommunications industry. We are trying to ensure that we don't sacrifice our liberty in pursuit of security, and it is past time for the Administration to join us in that effort."

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PREDATORRRATATAT

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mccain's media

from ThinkProgress.com >>

Today, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) sent a letter to invite Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) to join him “in participating in town hall meetings across the country to discuss the most important issues facing Americans.” Later today, McCain told reporters that he “prefer[s]” town hall style discussions, saying he “would never have been able to win in New Hampshire if we hadn’t have conducted 102 town hall meetings.”

After learning of the proposal, media figures took him at face value, simply repeating McCain’s claim that he is well-suited for the town hall meetings:

– MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell: “One of the points there is to take advantage of McCain’s presumed strength in the town hall format and in loose conversations.”

– MSNBC’s Monica Novotny: “So it seems that these town halls would work to his strength.”

– Fox News’s Juan Williams: “That’s his strength. That format, when you get John McCain doing town hall meetings, he’s at his best.”

Really? Are town hall meetings really good for McCain? Does the town hall format create space for the presumptive Republican nominee to shine? Not exactly. Here are some lowlights of McCain “at his best” during various town hall meetings this GOP primary season:

– QUESTION: “How do we beat the bitch?” McCAIN: “That’s an excellent question.”

– SUPPORTER: “Another man — wondering if an attack on Iran is in the works — wanted to know when America is going to ’send an air mail message to Tehran.’” McCAIN: “Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran.”

– QUESTION: “President Bush has talked about our staying in Iraq for 50 years — [cut off by McCain].” McCAIN: “Maybe a hundred.”

– Student on McCain’s position on gay marriage: “I came here looking to see a leader. I don’t.”

– McCain called a student asking about his age “a little jerk,” adding, “You’re drafted.”

i like one of the reader comments >>

John McCain:
“I can bench-press 1000 pounds.”

Punditocracy:
“Clearly, McCain’s bench-press is among his strongest assets.”
“John McCain is banking on his powerful bench-press to score points with working-class voters.”
“Free weights play into McCain’s strengths as a campaigner, as opposed to the elite exercise-machine culture that Obama represents.”

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Mike Huckabee Joins Fox News Channel

Religio-conservative zealot Mike Huckabee, former Republican presidential hopeful, joins Fox News as "political commentator." The Raw Story.

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Kucinich interviewed on FSRN

Yesterday Kucinich spoke on Free Speech Radio News about why impeachment should be on the table. The Kucinich segment comes at min. 7:10 of the broadcast.

boomp3.com

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Chomsky on Media Matters, June 8, 2008

In this hourlong interview Chomsky addresses the vision for Iraq that makes the U.S. and Iran bedfellows and enemies of al-Sadr. Among many other things, he also addresses some of Obama's major flaws that we've talked about. The Media Matters website is here.

boomp3.com

Or download the MP3.

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Obama's vociferous commitment to Israel

In February 2008 on Meet the Press, Ralph Nader comments on Obama's Israel stance, and on other issues where Obama and the Democrats have dropped the ball. I post this in light of Obama's speech yesterday to the AIPAC, in which he supports an undivided Israel. Read the Middle East Times response to his AIPAC address here.

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Human Giant

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