Letters to the Editor
BillG
Published Letters: 18 Editor's Choice: 1
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Open letter to Obama
[Read the article: Today's coverup of surveillance crimes and Barack Obama]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Sent to Obama via his campaign website:
Senator Obama, your vote today in the Senate shows to me that you are no better than your political opponents; in fact, by voting FOR cloture in the FISA matter, you have joined the ranks of the illicit politicians who have done irreparable damage to our nation, its Constitution, the rule of law, and, finally, to us citizens.
Not only have you shown yourself to be a traitor to the cause of progressive reform in this country, you have also shown yourself to be, quite frankly, a lily-livered liar. Since your candidacy began, your spokespersons have always told the American people that you would support a filibuster on this topic. Quoting Glenn Greenwald, you have instead "voted for cloture on the bill -- the exact opposition of supporting a filibuster -- and then voted for the bill itself." I most wholeheartedly agree with Greenwald's next thought, that a more complete abandonment of a clear campaign promise is difficult to imagine.
I am a lifelong Democrat but never have I been more disgusted with a political party than I am right now with Democrats. The GOP has frightened me, to be sure, but nothing that they have ever done--even in the depths of their amoral Rovian depravity-- has ever nauseated me as much as your actions and the actions of most Capitol Hill Democrats in capitulating to the law-breaking Bush White House over the last many months-- especially today, when you and the minions have excused, and then legalized, a raping of the Constitution so vile, so repugnant, so unprecedented, that the Watergate crimes can hardly be mentioned in the same breath..
You and/or your campaign ask me to believe in you. Sir, today you have lost any and all of the radiant hope and belief I had formerly held in you. Even worse, in the cold light of history, your betrayal today of both your word and the people who believed you will be seen as having set the causes of civil rights and race relations back seventy years.
While it may not be "fair" to you and to other glass-ceiling-breaking, non-white-male presidential candidates, those of you who blaze new paths are expected to be like Caesar's wife. Senator Obama, though you might drive a Porsche, you are by no means Portia. You are no longer as much free from suspicion of a crime as you are of a crime itself. Sir, you are no longer above reproach. As a matter of fact, the inherent crime of your vote today has placed you squarely in the league of Cassius and his brother-in-law Brutus, whose conspiracy and crime live ever on in history.
I am a middle-aged man and so far I have had just two heroes in recent American politics: Lyndon Johnson, for his dual and interconnected wars on racism and poverty, and Paul Wellstone, for his honor, his decency, and his willingness to stand up for what's morally right in the face of criticism. To paraphrase that famous political line: Senator Obama, you're no Paul Wellstone. Worse yet, sir, you are no Barack Obama, at least not the Barack Obama whom we thought we knew.
Sadly (and formerly sincerely) yours,
BillG
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Get a grip
[Read the article: Is Barack cheating on Hillary?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Perhaps Obama is not considering Clinton as his Veep because he has other, more important duties in mind for her. Clinton would make a fine Supreme Court justice, and the work she'd do there could be, would be, far more important to the country than being merely Vice-president.
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The police raids are only part of it
[Read the article: Federal government involved in raids on protesters ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]If and when the MSM ever mention this latest example of Constitution shredding (hope springs eternal) they might also do some background reporting on how the City of Saint Paul waffled back and forth about issuing demonstration permits. Many groups which applied were not granted permission, and those that did get the GOP Seal of Approval were moved so far away from the convention venue that only locals who know the back streets of downtown Saint Paul will be able to find them. With the police raids as an example, however, God help anyone who dares to protest next week... can you say Kent State?
Then again, the real story behind how the GOP convention came to be held in Minnesota in the first place ought to be examined. The Democrats had planned on being in the Twin Cities, not in Denver, but their plans were dashed by a certain local official who was hoping to become Vice-President. It was very simple, really; he caused the city's final convention bid to the Dems to be withheld until after the Dem's must-reply-by date; the very next day the same convention bid was presented to the GOP, which accepted it with stunning alacrity.
It must surely give the GOP an electric charge to be convening in the land of Hubert Humphrey, Eugene McCarthy, Walter Mondale, and Paul Wellstone. (Hyannisport would have been better, but the convention center there couldn't accommodate the crowd.) Unfortunately, that is not the sort of electric charge these traitors deserve.
Funny how Katrina fried the GOP's bacon, and how Gustav will wind up saving it. I knew Rove was powerful, but hurricanes-to-order?
Thanks, Glenn, for bringing this latest American horror to the forefront.