Yep, it would have been great if Barack Obama had pulled a Russ Feingold and given a clear, full-throated denunciation of the FISA compromise legislation.
But he didn't. He hemmed and hawed and talked around it for the most part. One would think he's running for president or something.
So while I appreciate the very serious handwringing going on here over the last couple of days ("It's the Constitution!!!!!"), I note that a few Americans may have other things on their minds...
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The Dow dropped 220 points today. A number of very large banks are in deep, deep financial trouble and may be on the verge of going under. Oil prices climbed again. New home starts dropped 70% from a year ago, on top of the 50% drop last year. That's a drop of nearly 90% over two years. Americans are more in debt than ever before. And the unemployment rate is rising and likely to continue to rise.
Here's what is making me crap my pants these days:
- A soaring unemployment rate
- A crashing stock market
- The looming failures of a number of huge banks
- Soaring oil prices
- Our looming environmental disaster
- A horribly broken (and broke) government, destroyed from the inside by the Bush-Cheney cabal
- The mess in Iraq
- Afghanistan going backwards - quickly
- A Republican nominee who is likely more incompetent, corrupt and dangerous than the current criminals occupying the Executive Branch
So, yeah, I'm disappointed that Obama is playing presidential year politics with the FISA issue. (I was even more disappointed that Democratic senators like Clinton and Kerry played presidential politics with the AUMF vote in 2003.)
But here's what I'm looking for come November: someone who will begin to fix our broken government. Because that is going to be a monumentally tough job in the face of a severe economic crisis and a disastrous foreign policy. And the process of rebuilding our government begins with electing our own, flawed candidate.
Hey, I'm all for giving Obama an earful. He needs to know how his base feels about this issue.
But, frankly, I'm more concerned about folks losing their jobs and their homes at this point. Not to mention the folks losing limbs and their lives in our two wars.
Yeah, I'm an asshole because on the FISA issue, "It's the Constitution, goddamnit!"
So be it.
I'll write Obama (another) sternly-worded letter.
I just want him to move into the White House next January and start cleaning up the huge mess left by the criminals currently occupying the Executive Branch.