Not all "flip-flops" are created equal, and when a candidate radically changes position on an issue of great importance to his supporters (and maybe even future generations) it calls to question their integrity and honesty. Obama has done that by voting for the FISA bill, and has taken the wind out of the sails of his supporters by doing so. If he had done it while the primaries were still being conducted, it might have cost him the nomination. Everybody must now be wondering along with myself what else he said that he didn't mean. When Democrats vote this November, they will be wondering if they really know what they are voting for.

McCain has been changing positions for years, and nobody is going to be suprised by it. While at one point he could credibly claim to be a maverick, that was before he snuggled up to the religious right, and became Bush's biggest fan. It is also worth noting that all of McCain's flips have been to bring him in line with the Republican party platform. When Republicans vote this November, they will at least know what they are voting for.

Nothing is worse than continuing the destructive legacy of Bush.

And McCain's promise to appoint extreme Supreme Court justices will do that.

Amen.

The people who will vote for one versus the other are largely impervious to any other argument. Most of the 'undecideds either stay home or should stay home because they're probably too dumb to make it to the driveway w/o hurting themselves.

McCain has also flip-flopped on items near and dear to his supporters' hearts. He's actually *for* immigration reform again (or at least that's what he's been telling Latinos lately).

TWEEDLE-DEE: "McClean's a Hypo-Crite ... He insists that; "A Man's Word is is Bond" ... then does a Switcher-a-Roo"

TWEEDLE-DUM: "Uhh, yup .... at least O'Blarny's been Up & Up with The People from the outset"

TWEEDLE-DEE: Undeedie !! --- He did warn us all beforehand that he would be The Candidate of "Change"

Well, before I was firmly a Democratic supporter and was going to vote for Obama or Clinton depending on who won, not going to think about just vote for one of them. I was the one telling all my friends before, no don't vote for Nader, vote for Gore!

Now that Obama won, then voted for FISA, is backing off full support for women's choice, now he can suck it. I may end up voting for him, but I'm seriously now considering voting for one of the other candidates, no not McCain, he can suck it too.

My only hope is he's doing these little moves to the center to court all those people unhappy with McCain then do the right thing once he's president.

To honor their pendulum-like resolves we rename the article...

Barack and Forth VS John McChange

First, Obama did say he would support a filibuster on any bill that included retroactive immunity for Telcoms. In the end, he voted in favor of the failed amendment to strip retroactive immunity, yet still voted for the legislation.

This was indeed a true disappointment.

As for backing off a full woman's right to choice, this is a distortion based on some inarticulate words by Obama.

Obama, who has a 100% rating from NARAL, has always stood firm on late term abortions, stating that any legislation seeking to limit the procedure must include provisions for the welfare of the mother.

In a recent interview, Obama said "I do not think 'mental distress' qualifies as the health of the mother." This comment came as he was actually defending the right to late term abortions in instances when the health of the mother is in jeopardy.

Well, individuals went wild claiming that Obama had changed his stance on the issue. He hadn't. He was just inarticulate and later clarified.

In the end, NARAL still stands behind Obama and the anti-choice folks still oppose him.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5giojIhr1t6DX6K27JDnIVDciQDTgD91MLKF00

So bless my soul in the name of rock & roll

Get down and kiss my sweet bippy.

Sen. Obama clearly marketed himself as the candidate of change and he was going to do things differently in DC. Sen. Wright had it correct when he said that Sen. Obama is a politician. The type of change you can believe in from Sen Obama is change of his positions to pander for votes. His signed pledge to follow campaign finance reform, gun control, FISA, and soon his policy on Iraq will all change. And I do not think Sen. Obama deserves a pass on it just because he thinks he has to move to the middle for the GE. What a great disappointment. Sen. McCain had the reputation of being a maverick so I am not surprised about his change of positions as I expected it.

That's a refreshing romantic approach. That Arizona senator, that maverick of the southwest, with his six shooter in hand, he can single handedly take out Tehran, put John McCain to the ultimate test.

There's your "maverick" cowboy.

I have come to loath the word "flip-flopping." It is a false premise from the start in many ways. Instead of that, why can't we just say "changed his/her mind" or "decided to pander for votes" or "lied" or whatever the hell it is that changes the candidate's stance on the issues. Calling it "flip-flopping" hides what really happened behind some soundbite/word. It's important to be specific because without that specificity we miss major truths.

Sometimes, changing one's mind is good idea. Sometimes, it's not. Of course, in Fox "News" land, "flip-flopping" is something only the opposition does. Breaking an oath of office/breaking the law becomes "in our best interests" and "a great decision." It's merely another way to win an argument with words but without reality.

Can we avoid conscripting the Republican way of words? I think we need to in order to destroy their power.

Obama "changed his mind" about FISA. Why he did that is a cause for speculation. I speculate he's rather stupidly pandering for votes from those other than his base or because he's been unduly influenced for money or to keep a bunch of Democrats from going to jail/being fined/being seen as a bunch of big stupidheads. He should have protected his base and the Constitution and let Congress be openly seen as a big bunch of stupidheads, but he chose not to do so.

McCain appears to be changing his positions on things because he can't actually remember what he said last. Mere speculation on my part but bolstered by his Viagra-long pause the other day. He looks like a dotty old dude.