Obama and FISA

Original Link: http://rabblerouserruminations.blogspot.com/2008/06/obama-and-fisa.html

Well, another day, another lie from Obama. Yes, I am talking about his reneging on his promise to vote against FISA. This decision just goes hand in hand with his campaign finance flip flop, being for single payer insurance before being against it, allegedly being against the Iraq War before consistently funding it, and on and on. We all know the list. But that is because, by and large, we are Hillary supporters. Last night, I got an email from an old friend of mine. It was a letter his cousin, Bryan, had written to the Obama campaign about Obama and his FISA vote. But here's the catch - HE was an Obama supporter. And yes, I did say WAS. With his permission, I am reprinting his email below, without idenitifying informtion (though I can tell you he lives in Virginia), and with minor changes (italics were necessary, for example). I found it to be quite moving, and telling. My heart goes out to him as the scales drop from his eyes, and hope he will continue his scrutiny of the Man Who Would Be King. Here is Bryan's email:

TO: William Burton, Spokesman
Obama for President Campaign

Sir,

I am quite dismayed that Sen. Obama has decided not to oppose the FISA legislation pending in the US Senate. I really expected more from him. I had supported his candidacy up to now, voting for him in the Virginia Democratic Primary and contributing frequently to the campaign.

I am writing to tell you personally that I will not vote in the general presidential election and have removed the solicitation email address from my address list. Any future messages and requests for funds from Obama's campaign will bounce. I am frequently asked by friends and peers to weigh in on political issues, and as far as I am concerned, this position is a total sellout for conservative votes. I intend to actively encourage everyone I know to sit out the 2008 presidential campaign and withhold their vote. I have blind-copied them on this letter.

I find it incomprehensible that Democrats would bow to the Bush administration's now successful attempt to cover up their efforts to break the law and wiretap US citizens without a warrant. The telecommunications companies were being sued in federal court by US citizens who will now have their rights abrogated by the US Congress, all in the name of the phony war on terror. There is a minority of
folks in this country who see this sham war and the war in Iraq for what it really is: a means to subjugate dissent and enrich military contractors at the expense of the US taxpayer.

Sen. Obama has squandered a golden opportunity to explain why FISA in its present form is more than adequate to protect the nation from terrorism. He could have cleared up the obfuscation and misinformation being propagandized from the right. Sadly, Sen. Obama has chosen to forego honorable actions for political expediency.

I am fairly certain that the pending FISA legislation, which contains ex post facto attempts to allow illegal acts on the part of government officials and private companies, would not hold up if reviewed by an impartial Supreme Court. Sadly, the US Supreme Court is not impartial, as the 2000 Florida election debacle has proven. Our civil rights, fought for by our founding fathers, are being gradually eroded and discarded in the name of political expediency.

Perhaps Sen. Obama has forgotten that Martin Luther King was a victim of illegal wiretapping by the FBI. Words cannot adequately express my disappointment in the position taken by your candidate. Actions, however, can.

I expect to receive some kind of canned form letter response to this email, but at least I will have said my piece before pulling the plug on my support for your candidate's campaign.

Sincerely,

Bryan

Wow. Some letter, isn't it? Thanks to Bryan for allowing me to post it here.

I did mention to my friend that perhaps his cousin was unaware that Obama also supports the "enrichment" of military contractors with his desire to leave the mercenary organization, Blackwater, in Iraq, at a cost of thousands of dollars a day. So even if he does begin to draw out troops (and why would we believe him on that since he has also flip flopped on THAT idea?), he would keep this frightening organization in place, at the expense of taxpayer dollars, and heaven only knows how many deaths or maimings.

So, who knows? Maybe the Emperor's new clothes are finally being exposed for what they are - empty rhetoric and just words.

Or, maybe they are Versace! Yes, that is right - in the "It Has To Be True Because It Is So Damn Weird," Versace now has a line of clothes that have been "inspired" by Barack Obama. I swear, I am NOT making this up!! In an article out today, there is almost a third page article, with PHOTOS, about how Obama, "the man of the moment," on Versace's words, has inspired this new line of clothes. Hmmm - I wonder if everything is REVERSIBLE?!?!?

Finally, James Clyburn has a commentary in today's Post and Courier in which he takes umbrage at the accusations. And, predictably, he says his family has not benefitted financially. Moreover, he claims that these funds were all for community organizations. Okay - that is indeed what the original article stateded, but Clyburn does not refute that he has family members working in every single ONE of those places! Whatever - if he did come out and say, "Well, heck yeah - I'm shifting money to my family left and right," he knows he'd be in a heap of trouble. Rather, he is trying to attack the group that highlighted these budgetary requests as being a pro-McCain group. AHA!! "Pay no attention to what I am actually doing - because this group that mentioned it is BAD!!!!" Uh huh. So, this is about what I expected from him - excuses, obfuscations, denials, and blame. Sounds about right!