Thursday, July 10, 2008

Why?

Why, oh WHY is anyone surprised by the machinations of Obama in the past month or so, culminating in his throwing the Constitution under the bus with his vote for FISA and telecom immunity? Why are people like Bob Herbert angry at him for moving so much to the Center now? In a column published on July 8, 2008, "Lurching With Abandon," Bob says,
Only an idiot would think or hope that a politician going through the crucible of a presidential campaign could hold fast to every position, steer clear of the stumbling blocks of nuance and never make a mistake. But Barack Obama went out of his way to create the impression that he was a new kind of political leader — more honest, less cynical and less relentlessly calculating than most.

But, WHY did you think that, Bob?? For what reason did you EVER think Obama meant any of his flowery speeches? On his record?? Hardly. On his lie-filled books?? I mean, seriously - while it may be idiotic to not think a candidate may move to the center some to win an election, it is pretty idiotic to support a candidate simply on a campagin slogan, too! That is to say, there was no reason in the WORLD for you to believe anything that Obama said, because his RECORD, what there is of it, indicates a man who votes, or not, for whatever is most politically expedient at the time. If you bought into his whole, "I am not a politician" schtick, well, it makes me wonder about your political savvy. Heckfire, Bush said the same thing, creating this whole, "I'm just a Texas boy and don't know nothing about the ways of Washington," despite ALL of his history to indicate otherwise. So, yeah - if you bought the whole "Hope! Change! I'm Different!" hocum, it says a lot about you.

While I am at it, your gratuitous swipe at the best president we have had in decades with THIS little tidbit,
You would be able to listen to him without worrying about what the meaning of “is” is
.
Was just uncalled for - you could have picked about a GAZILLION things Bush has done over the past 7 1/2 yrs, but you take a dig at Clinton?? Wow - truly no good deed goes unpunished. Bill Clinton did more for the African American community than any other president, and this is how he is repaid.

And how has Obama been for the African-American Community, Bob? Oh, yeah, right, according to YOU, not so hot:
There has been a reluctance among blacks to openly criticize Senator Obama, the first black candidate with a real shot at the presidency. But behind the scenes, there is discontent among African-Americans, as well, over Mr. Obama’s move away from progressive issues, including his support of the Supreme Court’s decision affirming the constitutional right of individuals to bear arms.

Huh. Imagine that. Maybe if you had done 1/20th, even 1/50th the level of scrutiny of Obama's record (or lack thereof) that you and others of your ilk (political commentators) did on Clinton's, you would not be at ALL surprised. And Obama would not be the presumptive nominee!!

But wait, there are more people who have been thrown by a loop with Obama's move to the right, and his desire to throw away the Constitution. Yes, the so-called Constitutional scholar has decided that he doesn't need that pesky piece of paper, either, just like BUSH! Maybe someone should have asked just what the hell he was TEACHING in those classes?!? Ah, too late now! Anywho, Big Tent Democrat, over at TalkLeft, has a post entitled, "My View: I Do Not Believe Obama On The FISA Capitulation Bill."
The article begins: Yesterday, Barack Obama said:

Obama blamed criticism from "my friends on the left" and "some of the media" in part on cynicism that ascribes political motives for every move candidates make. "You're not going to agree with me on 100 percent of what I think, but don't assume that if I don't agree with you on something that it must be because I'm doing that politically," he said. "I may just disagree with you."
I do not believe Barack Obama. I will go further. I do not want to believe him. Because the alternative is worse. Because if Obama believes the BS he said about the FISA Capitulation bill, then he is not fit to be President.

Well, I would contend he never WAS fit to be president!! Again, I ask, WHAT HAS HE DONE to make anyone think he is capable of the presidency besides being able to read a teleprompter? And even then, many of the words that so swayed his followers were actually written first for other candidates!! He didn't even write them himself!!!

BTD continues,
If Barack Obama really believes this about the FISA Capitulation bill, then he is as dangerous as George W. Bush:

[G]iven 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, review the report by the Inspectors General, and work with the Congress to take any additional steps I deem necessary to protect the lives -- and the liberty -- of the American people."
(Emphasis supplied.) Excuse me, but the Constitution does not work that way. Firm pledges from the President do not compensate for evisceration of the Constitutional right to privacy.

BTD really didn't see any of this coming? I just don't get that, all respect due to BTD. I mean, Obama is the guy who claimed it was "fair" for him to be given Clinton's votes and her delegates. "Fair" for him to take the voices never given to him, people who pulled the lever for his opponent, not him. Yet, he thought that was "fair." Some alternate universe in which Obama lives, it seems!!

BTD continues,
Obama's "firm pledge," (given he pledged to filibuster any bill that contained telecom immunity, the irony of his new pledge is nauseating), IF HE WINS is worth nothing. His position here is nothing short of disgusting.

But politics is disgusting. And pols do what they do. I remind Barack Obama of the words of Louis Brandeis:

Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government's purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.
They tell me Obama is a Constitutional scholar. I assume he is familiar with Brandeis' words. So no, I do not believe he believes this FISA Capitulation bill is good or even acceptable. I believe he is acting out of political calculation (and bad political calculation at that.) Indeed, if that is not the case, then his position is unacceptable and he is not fit to be President.

I would state again, no he is not fit to be president. He wasn't fit PRIOR to this capitulation, and he sure as hell isn't fit AFTER it. There was one person left in this race, and she is still there, who IS. One person who did NOT capitulate, who stood up for the Constitution and for our civil liberties. The nomination is not official YET, despite all efforts to convince us otherwise. If this does not show Obama's followers the stuff of which he is truly made, nothing will. In that case, there is nothing to be done for them. But for the over 18,000,000 of us ho could see through him from the very beginning, there is another road to take, and that is to have Hillary Clinton be the nominee. But only if the Democrats want to re-take the White House. If not, then by all means, keep supporting Obama, and expect another four years of Republican (McCain) or Republican Lite (Obama) rule.

9 comments:

Mary Ellen said...

Hi Amy! I'm on my way out the door and will get back to read this post this afternoon. I was hoping you would cover this sham of a vote by Obama! I just wrote a little satire thing on my blog post today with Obama. The guy is a joke.

Later, Amy!

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

Hey!

Thanks, ME - I wanted to tell you that I am AMAZED at your new blog! It is AWESOME!! You are really up and running! WOW!!!

I really appreciate your support - you rock!

Mary Ellen said...

Hi Amy...finally got back home.

This post is amazing, but then again, I keep saying that about all your posts because they are. But this one is even MORE amazing! You put into words the same frustration that all of us who were NEVER bamboozled by this actor of a candidate.

When I see Obamabots making excuses for Obama and saying that he doesn't really mean all these things he's said in the last few weeks. He really i a progressive, just like them, I WANT TO SCREAM!

Can they possibly be that stupid to think that Obama is not going to suck up all the power that Bush took away from Congress and keep it for himself? That is what this FISA vote is all about. HE wants to have the power to say who the government can listen to and who can't. HE wants the power to override his own party at his very whim.

What do you think the chances are that he will not abuse the executive privileges that Bush has in the past? Of course he will be writing all his own executive orders and adding what he wants onto every bill that crosses his desk.

But you know what? The immature Obamabots will continue to support him anyway. The black community will do so also, because he is the right color for the job, nevermind that he's not the right MAN for the job.

Oh...what a rant I just had, sorry.

And thank you so much for the kind words about my new blog. It's still a work in progress. Did you get a chance to see my Monty Python post, Three Questions? Just a little political snark, and of course, Hillary is the one to stump the gatekeeper cuz she's the only one with the brains. Also, notice that Obama is the knight who didn't want to go first and then went as soon as he saw the one before him get easy questions. Just like he copied all of Hillary's answers at the debate. ;-)

Mary Ellen said...

Check this out, Amy...a blogger friend of mine sent it to me.

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

Hey there, ME!

Wow - thank you so much! I am glad you liked it. That means a lot to me!

Before I go any further, your blog today was HYSTERICAL!!! PErfect, just perfect!

I kinda got into it a little bit with my brother and sister-in-law, who are visitng (they just came today). They are both professors at a large state university, and support Obama. My mom suggested that maybe they just didn't know as much as people like you and me, and that does seem to be the case. I mean, they have heard ALL of the Obama talking points, and were able to regurgitate those pretty easily (like Hillary and Bosnia, in reponse to my mentioning Obama's parents being inspired to have him four years after the fact - the difference, of course, is that her comment was off the cuff, and his was in a book - presumably, one editors actually read first). BUT - they did NOT know abt SC, NH, and IA having primaries too early - or that 4 Dems had their names on the ballot in MI, an dto take their names OFF was an Obama ploy to embarrass Clinton since he knew he wouldn't win there. But, you know, there is just a different thought pattern - my brother said, "Well, it worked!" Along te lines of Obama "getting lucky" that he only had to run against Alan Keyes. I told him it had NOTHING to do with luck - it had to do with someone revealing a sealed divorce settlement right before the election. It just amazes me how quickly people, smart people, are qilling to just throw things away. Like the whole Faith Initiative - I mentioned that it was the SAME thing over which Progressives, myself included, went NUTS when Bush came up with it, and now Obama wants to EXPAND it?? C'mon already! Sheesh!

My s-in-l seems particularly concerned with not using the right to vote for a prez. I can understand that, but you know, I own my own vote, not the DNC. And while PREVIOUSLY they may have represented my interests more, they sure as hell don't now. Not with the way they have acted.

We just had to stop talking abt it. Who knows - maybe something got through so they will at least look a LITTLE more critically at what he is saying. Not holding my breath, though!

Great work over there at Bad Habits! Love it!

Mary Ellen said...

Amy- This is just a portion of what was written on a blog by an Obama supporter today. Now, this girl is a very nice person and I think the world of her. However, she really falls for the Obama line,hook and sinker.

She wrote about the Obama talking point about how he had no choice, he was thinking of the future and this is the ONLY way to make us safer. This was my reply to her post:

She wrote (in italics)

Obama may be looking at the big picture here - if the FISA bill didn't pass at all, many of the things being done to watch potential terrorists would end completely - leaving us vulnerable.

My reply (in bold print):

That may be what he wants you to believe,but it isn't true! By law, our government can still listen in on phone calls from terrorists, but they need a court order to do it. In fact, they could still do it and get the court order retroactive after, I think...73 hours, maybe more. What the FISA bill allows is for the government to do a sweep of listening to ANYONE they want, this includes you and I. They could also listen to communication from opposing political parties. If you recall...that's what Nixon was impeached for. If this FISA bill was in force then, he would have been within the law to do his break in.

Beyond the wiretap immunity, the language of this bill includes this:



ASSISTANCE--The term 'assistance' means the provision of, or the provision of access to, information... facilities, or another form of assistance

PERSON--The term 'person' means...a landlord, custodian, or other person who may be authorized and required to furnish assistance...

IN GENERAL--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no civil action may lie or be maintained in a Federal or State court against any person for providing assistance to an element of the intelligence community, and shall be promptly dismissed, if the Attorney General certifies to the court that...any assistance by that person was provided pursuant to a directive under sections 102(a)(4), 105B(e)...

ELEMENT OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY--The term 'element of the intelligence community' means an element of the intelligence community as specified or designated under section 3(4) of the National Security Act... [Ed. Note: That includes the FBI, CIA, NSA, Homeland Security, the Defense Department, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the State Department, the Treasury Department, and any other agency the president chooses.]

Let's translate that. A hotel manager who lets FBI agents into a guest's room to copy a laptop's hard drive in secret would not be liable. An apartment manager who gives Homeland Security the key to a tenant's unit to place a key logger in a PC would not be liable. A private security firm that divulges a customer's alarm code would not be liable. A university that agrees to forward a student's e-mail messages to the Defense Department would not be liable. An antivirus company that helps the NSA implant spyware in an unsuspecting customer's computer would not be liable.

No court order is required. And if an eventual lawsuit accuses the hotel manager or antivirus firm of unlawful activities, it'll be thrown out of court as long as the attorney general or the director of national intelligence can provide a "certification." The "certification" is, of course, secret--all a judge may say publicly is that the rules were followed, and then dismiss the case.

Obama is supposed to be a lawyer and a Constitutional scholar, but I can tell you this, you don't need to be a Constitutional scholar to know that this is not Democracy and this is not an acceptable bill.

Please, please, please, do not fall for this stuff about how he said he would reach out to the "right". This isn't reaching out to anyone, it's going back on his word that he would be "different". Did he not say that he would protect the Constitution? How is this protecting it?

Going back on your word of the primary campaign trail once you think you've got the nomination secured is not being an agent of change, it's being dishonest.


************

Honestly, the Obama camp is using the same fear tactics as the GOP did, and isn't that exactly what they accused Hillary of doing during the campaign when she spoke of national security? But she never went back on her word and she always said that we can have national security without taking away American's rights of freedom.

Ugh...I wish the Obama supporters would quit making excuses for him and actually do some research! What is even more infuriating, is that no matter how much evidence or facts you give them, their eyes glaze over and they plug up their ears. It is maddening, I tell ya!

Mary Ellen said...

Ooops, bold print was supposed to start at, "That may be what he wants you to believe..."

Sorry.

Mary Ellen said...

OT: I have some quotes on my blog you might be interested in. Check out the one about Obama's new army.

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

Oh, I agree - it is maddening indeed. I asked my younger brother today point blank why he is supporting Obama. "He is articulate." "He is a Constitutional scholar!" "Hillary isn't even FROM NY, and she got elected there! And she just throws on a Yankees cap!" I told him that Hillary had ALWAYS been a Yankees and Cubbies fan. He acted like that was crap, and NO ONE could do both. I reminded him that one is a NATIONAL League team, the other AMERICAN league, and that I have two favorite teams, too (one in each). I told him there were photos of her as a kid with a Yankees cap on, dadgummit! And I asked him why he was repeating all of the Right Wing talking points abt her - after I queried if Obama's being "articulate" by using SOMEONE else's speech didn't bother him? Or his backtracking on Iraq? FISA?? (He did admit that bothered him some...) He also finally admitted that he thought the Right was too hard on Hillary when Bill was prez, but he has bought into that wholememe that Bill and Hillary are racists. I told him that was offensive - for all the reasons you know - her going to work for THe Children's Defense Fund, all of the work both have done for the AA community, they way Obama RACE-baited and accused the "First Black Prez" of being racist, all of that. It makes me SO mad the way Obama has tarninshed Bill Clinton's presidency. Grrr. Oh, and I told him that Clinton had done a TON for women and children, veterans (including the bill she got passed with our senator, Graham, here), Native Americans, et al. I don't think these people know this stuff because the damn media NEVER covered it!

I just have to hope, ME, that some little seed gets planted, and maybe, JUST maybe, they will look at him with a more critical eye - like they should have ages ago...