Obama
Greenwald, as usual, is right:
Obama turns around and intervenes in a Democratic primary on behalf of one of the worst Bush enablers in Congress — not in order to help Barrow defeat an even-worse Republican, but to defeat a far better and plainly credible Democratic challenger.
For all of Obama’s talk about the wicked ways of Washington, these incumbent protection schemes — whereby Beltway power factions all help each other stay in power no matter their ideology or positions — are among the most vital instruments for perpetuating how Washington works. Democratic leaders pretend that they are forced continuously to capitulate to the Bush administration due to their “conservative” members, yet continuously work to keep those same members in power, even when it comes to supporting them against far better Democratic primary challengers.
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Making matters much worse here, Obama — who has removed himself almost completely from the pending eavesdropping and telecom amnesty debate — recorded this ad for Barrow on the eve of that bill’s passage, all in order to keep in power a key Democratic supporter of this FISA/amnesty bill. Yet telecom amnesty is not merely a side issue but is one of the purest expressions of what Obama claims so vigorously to oppose in Washington.
Regular readers know Obama was my third choice, and that I’ve always been a bit suspicious about the kumbaya language. You also know I’m not one of the cuckoo-bananas crowd that thinks McCain would be better than Obama, This is an excellent example of why I have always felt that way, and I agree with Glenn: Mr. Obama is going to have to be dragged kicking and screaming into the debate.
More Glenn:
it’s critical to keep in mind that Obama is a politician and, like all people, is plagued by significant imperfections. He has largely entrenched himself in, and is dependent upon, the power structure he says he wants to undermine. Uncritical devotion to political leaders, including him, is destructive. Obama needs pressure, criticism, checks, and real scrutiny just like anyone else in power in order to keep him accountable, responsive, and faithful to the principles he claims are the ones driving him.
Pressure of that sort should include demanding that he take meaningful action against this Draconian and lawlessness-enabling bill. This is, after all, a bill which his own party is seeking to pass and justifying their behavior, in part, by claiming that they’re doing it to protect Obama politically from being attacked as Weak on Terrorism. If this bill passes and Obama does nothing to stop it, he’ll bear significant responsibility for its enactment. Here’s his campaign’s phone number: (866) 675-2008.
As the Presidential frontrunner, Obama could stop this FISA sell-out TODAY.
