Can't You Trust Him?

I have been reading all the rants about Obama's decision to support FISA, and I wanted to comment on why I think he is doing what he is doing.

From the day he started his campaign, Obama has insisted that the Republicants have taken their eye off the ball in terms of keeping America safe. He has ridden the Republicants on the fact that they pulled military resources away from Afghanistan (where Al Qaeda is located) in order to play soldier in Iraq.

In my opinion, Obama is trying to keep a consistent position that is (1) anti-Iraq-blunder and (2) pro-get-the-terrorists. He cannot do that without FISA.

When Obama stated the obvious--that the U.S. needs to be willing to negotiate with friends and foes--he was widely decried as an "appeaser" by the Republicants. Who can forget Chris Matthews' taking on right wing blow bag, Kevin James, about false Neville Chamberlain framings against Obama. (Note: If you are unfamiliar with the concept of framing, please read all of Jeffrey Feldman's diaries on the subject.

Obama fought back against this framing, with support from people like James Baker, who agreed that we need to sit down with folks (as Baker did with Syria under Reagan) to help keep Americans safe. The events in North Korea this week (just weeks after Obama's statement) PROVE that negotiations work. Obama 1. Neo-cons 0.

When Obama stated that the U.S. needs to go after Al Qaeda, rather than wasting billions in Iraq creating a new Al Qaeda there, he was right. When he said that he would be willing to act on "actionable intelligence" the Republicants framed the statement as Obama wanting to "invade an ally, Pakistan." The week that Obama made his statement also happened to be the week that U.S. forces acted on "actionable intelligence" to get a top Al Qaeda leader. Obama 2. Neo-cons 0.

Now, we come to FISA. I highly recommend that everyone read "The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot" by Naomi Wolf. This book documents how precariously close we have come to a closed authoritarian society, paralleling those of Stalin and Mussolini, among others. The events of the past seven years should be cause for concern for everyone--Republican and Democrat and Independent. That book is the book that I give most frequently as a gift these days.

And that book is reason why we need to trust Obama on this FISA thing.

People got all up in arms about Obama's decision, until Keith Olbermann's trusted lawyer friend, John Dean, pointed out something that only a good lawyer could see--that criminal prosecution is still possible.

Those in support of the civil suits have long argued that they were not intended to extort monies out of the telecom companies, but rather to get to the bottom of the Constitutional morass through the discovery process. People are rightfully upset that the current FISA legislation will allow for the rejection of all of these civil suits, and they fear that we will never know the extent of the horror known as the Bush Administration.

But all that will change when Obama is in power. The criminal discovery process will reveal the information that people want under the civil discovery process. In the end, the people will get to see the mold growing on the Constitution under Bush, but (under Obama) there is actually a chance of folks in the administration and in the telecom firms GOING TO JAIL, where they belong....

Obama is no chump-change, ambulance-chasing lawyer. He taught Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago, one of the top schools in the country. Reiux has written a diary about his time as a student of Obama at Chicago. When you think about the sophistication of the course construction described in that diary, you should be relieved that (1) Obama knows the Constitution and legal precedent pretty darn well, and that (2) he will do his best to make sure that no future President can get away with the things that Bush has.

If there is one person I trust to do that, it is Barack Hussein Obama.

Remember: There are many, many people who actually believe that Obama is a Manchurian Muslim who will allow the terrorists to attack America. Don't argue with me about that. It's fact that these people exist. The Republicants have tried to paint Obama as an "enemy of Israel" who is "endorsed by terrorists" and "who cannot be trusted."

If his supporters start to publicly agree with the last part of that assertion (regarding trust), then we are never going to win back the White House from these jerks. We REALLY need to win back the White House, folks. Pretty please. With a cherry on top!!!!

If Obama rejects FISA, he will be painted as someone who puts the terrorists ahead of the American people. He will be feeding into this idiotic line of thinking that he is trying to protect the terrorists from surveillance.

YES! It is stupid. Most Americans ARE stupid when it comes to these things. They don't spend time reading political news, nor do they care enough about how politicians make their lives miserable. (Watch Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer's comments on these "less informed voters." These are the folks that we have to convince to trust Obama's judgment.)

On the other hand, if Obama accepts FISA, he can stay on message that efforts need to be placed on Al Qaeda, not Iraq. That will reinforce the message that he has been saying since Day One.

Remember: Obama is not a war hero like McCain. Despite attempts by General Wesley Clarke to call out McCain's qualifications, Obama is working from a difficult position on Foreign Policy in the eyes of many people (not necessarily you).

Remember: K.I.S.S.--Keep it Simple, Stupid.

MCCAIN: IRAQ, YES!
OBAMA: IRAQ, NO. AL QAEDA, YES!

What's more, FISA (even if the immunity provisions cannot be stripped) will still allow for the criminal discovery process.

Do you actually believe that the man responsible for the "Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006," the "Honest Leadership and Open Government Act" and the "Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act" will not be fully transparent with the American people about what is discovered by his Department of Justice?

We will find out what happened, but only if we get Obama into the White House.

With the revelation yesterday that Bush & Co have impeded attempts by the military to follow through on a plan to capture Osama Bin Laden, let Obama stay on message.

IRAQ, NO. AL QAEDA, YES!