FISA & obama Options

[brooklyneast05]

Fifteen months of heated debate in Congress came to an end on Thursday when the Foreign Intelligence Security Act (FISA) was signed into law by President Bush. The law that passed the senate on Wednesday by a vote of 69 to 28 included the controversial amendment that provided immunity for telecommunication companies that cooperated with the NSA's warrant-less wire-tapping program.

The FISA debate was especially bitter for Democrats, who were split on the issue. "In a Democrat-controlled Congress... We're about to grant immunity to companies that are alleged to have participated in the administration's lawlessness?" Democratic Senator Feingold, who leads a coalition with Senator Leahy against the bill, asked congress. The FISA bill has been heralded a triumph for the Bush administration and a serious loss for the Democratic Party, especially Senator Obama who during the full swing of the primary in January, vowed to filibuster any bill that included retroactive immunity for telecommunication companies.

Obama reneged on this promise, and instead voted in favor of FISA.

how do the obama supporters feel about this?



this plus his change of position on public campaign financing. i'm not feeling it.

[superstitious]

I try not to have knee-jerk reactions to things, but this definitely makes my eyes open a bit wider, if that makes some sense.

I can understand, to some extent, having a change of heart on certain matters, but this is pretty big. It's also not the best timing to flip flop. That last thing Obama needs is a Kerry comparison right now and right now, Kerry just popped in my mind.