Letters to the Editor
Published Letters: 775 Editor's Choice: 9
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Keeping it in the limelight
[Read the article: What Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer and Fred Hiatt mean by "bipartisanship"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]My "MyBarackObama" profile is up and configured, and I will probably make FISA/Privacy/Gov't Accountability issues my #1 most talked about items on the blog there.
Not to defend Senator Obama's too-clever-by-half response (and, true, it remains to be seen whether he will do anything substantive in the Senate to expunge the offensive provisions of the bill), I still think it is paramount to support his efforts to defeat McCain in the fall.
Of course, I hold no illusions that Senator Clinton, were she in Obama's position, would have come out in full-voiced opposition of this bill (especially coming out of a less-than-crushing lead and a seemingly fractured Democratic base).
Now, from a purely political standpoint, Obama's position either way on this issue is a damned if you do, damned if you don't game of chicken with "independants", TV pundits, the right wing, lobbyists and a number of other "feet to the fire" elements. I can forgive Obama these last few slips because he is no Dennis Kucinich (who stands to lose much less than Obama).
I believe the majority of Americans oppose immunity, or do not understand the stakes. I say as much on blogspot, MyBarackObama and here. How do we inject this issue into the public conversation?
I don't know. But I'm going to try a different tack (I know, this is going to sound crazy coming from me) and try to catch some flies with honey.
Anyway, keep up the good work Glenn. I've temporarily suspended my contributions to Obama until I see some better efforts on his part. I think he flubbed this one, but its a long way to November.
Si se puede?
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Reading materials
[Read the article: Obama's support for the FISA "compromise"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Taking a nod from a commenter in yesterdays post, I sent the an email to the obama campaign plus the address you mentioned today the following:
A few suggestions for the Senator to read during the filibuster he will be leading next week:
The Constitution of the United States of America
The Declaration of Independence
The Federalist Papers
The Emancipation Proclamation
US Title III
The collected works of The Ramones, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Frank Zappa and Jello Biafra
1984
The works of Kurt Vonnegut
The works of Gore Vidal
Brave New World
Animal Farm
The Prince
Good luck with the filibuster Senator Obama promised to lead against telecom immunity.
Yes, we can!
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http://revolt.com/
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Xeroxbank
[Read the article: Obama's support for the FISA "compromise"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You people need to "man ssh".
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Slightly OT - Evidence of Public Support for Accountability in Government?
[Read the article: Time magazine uncritically prints Nancy Pelosi's "justifications" for the FISA "compromise"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Opening my mail today I got a nice letter from the office of Dennis J. Kucinich, D-OH, dated 1st June, 2008. Here is the key paragraph:
In the recent Contressional primary, I survive a cenverted attach by Republican business interests who recruited and supported a Democrat who reflected their policies and positions. You weighed in and with such and unprecedented response that we were swept to victors -- despite: ... determined editorial opposition from the local Republican-friendly newspaper ... 10,000 Republicans who crossed over to become "Democrats for a Day" ... and nearly a million dollars spent against us!
(Emphasis Kucinich's)
Public support in Kucinich's congressional district, Ohio's 10th, covers most of Cuyahoga county and the city of Cleveland. The county is strongly Democratic, strongly pro-union and has been economically blighted since the 1960s.
But in recent years there is solid evidence that suburban voters have slanted right in the western and southern corners of the county, with enclaves of conservatism in areas to the south and east.
Anyway, good for Congressperson Kucinich. If he can weather a concerted effort by Ohio Republicans to come out on top in this years primary in spite of his negative media image (he's an elf, he's effeminate, he believes in UFO, etc) maybe there is something to this "grass roots" you speak of.
I think if you had asked his campaign to tally the origins of out-of-state contributions to his re-election campaign you would find that a good number of donors were led to the Congressperson's web site by left wing blogs and online social networks like MySpace and Facebook.
Finally, it is worthy to note that Kucinich's letter to supporters makes no overt solicitations for further donations, something that I find quite annoying about communications from the Obama campaign or from the office of David Plouffe. Granted, Obama is clearly more successful at getting money than Kucinich, but I'm going to give when and if I feel like it, not because I am constantly brow beat to do so. Most of my total donations to the Obama campaign have been in response to current events, not pledge drives.
Unless there is a reversal in the coming week regarding Obama's position on this FISA bill, this spigot has dried up.
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WTF?
[Read the article: Why Clinton voters will come back to the fold]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Are you serious? Don't you people read the parody?
Click name.
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Gore Vidal
[Read the article: Gore Vidal's inconvenient truths]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Is a bona fide American hero.
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Fact Free Scare Tactics
[Read the article: The self-aware Bill Kristol]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Why not? Those are the stakes, why not be allowed to make an emotional appeal to voters based on their deepest fears?
That's what the GOP has been doing for 40 years.