BernieHund: The Political Watchdog

I suppose Obama can’t be perfect.  Losing John Edwards was a blow to the people and many of us, myself included, threw our support behind Barack Obama.  Today, I add my voice to those who are more than disappointed with his FISA position.  That leaves me with the problem the rest of the world sees.  We have a choice between Barack Obama and John McCain.  So, we have no real choice.  It’s Barack Obama or continue to bomb Iraq.

This is a blow to those of us who have given our voices to his support.  I believed Obama to be a true progressive, the politically correct word for L-I-B-E-R-A-L.  I am not ashamed of being labeled a liberal.  In fact, I love the idea.  I don’t want to be called a progressive, perhaps because it reminds me of an old magazine about agriculture. 

But, in this case Obama has dropped the ball.  There are quite a few who would like to say that those of us who are “progressives” or “liberals” are focusing too much on civil liberties.  There cannot be too much focus on civil liberties.  Those are our individual rights, the rights that allow us to speak out, to express our views.  To that end, we can now depend on Obama to vote to give those who spied on us immunity from prosecution.

Oh, sure.  Some will say that it is just one little thing that we disagree on.  But, it could be an indication of something far greater.  It shows that Obama has taken a step towards the inner circle.  By voting for the FISA bill as it sits in the Senate, Obama is sending us a message that he may not be as strong a defender of the populace as we believed. 

I fall in that demographic that should have supported Hillary Clinton.  I’m one of those older white women.  But, after losing Edwards, I saw Obama as the candidate of change.  Against statistics and the odds I have supported Barack Obama in my red state.  I have championed his position on almost every issue. 

Now it appears that Obama is wavering on the FISA issue.  Hell, he isn’t wavering.  He is failing us.  I am definitely going to sit back for a while and watch.  Like so many I have chatted with today, a tsunami could not have put out the Obama fire any quicker.  Apparently, Obama doesn’t want to appear weak to those who oppose him and voting for the FISA bill as it is will supposedly show him strong on the war on terrorism.  It’s obviously a defensive move to protect himself from Republican attacks. 

Obama may not care that much about the Internet or what is written here.  But, I would only suggest that someone on his staff remind him that his greatest support and his most active support came from those who were energized online… and contributed online.  It’s too early for him to bite the hand that has been feeding him.  It’s a long time between now and November.