Legal Commentary

Obama's Statement on Disagreement With His FISA Position

By Jeralyn

Sen. Barack Obama released a statement yesterday explaining why he's going to vote for the FISA bill. I'm sure Big Tent Democrat has previously addressed the substance of it.

Since I oppose all the FISA bills believing that FISA isn't broken and therefore needs no fixing, I've pretty much stayed out of it. What I find interesting about Obama's statement is this:

Democracy cannot exist without strong differences. And going forward, some of you may decide that my FISA position is a deal breaker. That's ok. But I think it is worth pointing out that our agreement on the vast majority of issues that matter outweighs the differences we may have. After all, the choice in this election could not be clearer. Whether it is the economy, foreign policy, or the Supreme Court, my opponent has embraced the failed course of the last eight years, while I want to take this country in a new direction. Make no mistake: if John McCain is elected, the fundamental direction of this country that we love will not change. But if we come together, we have an historic opportunity to chart a new course, a better course.

I'm still not convinced he will chart a new course, but I am convinced he will chart a better course than McCain. FISA is not a deal-breaker for me. [More...]

Obama's FISA stance was predictable months ago. He has always been a compromiser. It's why he wasn't my first or second choice for the the Democratic nomination. I don't want a President who reaches out to Republicans when he should be fighting them.

Nonetheless, as between a President who reaches out to Republicans and one who is a Republican, the one who merely reaches out is preferable.

We get the Government we elect. Maybe next time around, when a candidate runs on a platform of change and progress, people will examine his or her record for substance more closely before joining the bandwagon.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on July 08, 2008 (boomark / email).