How dare you try to bring some maturity and reality to this discussion. Can't you see that everyone else, Glenn included, wants to form up the old Democratic firing squad? "Okay, everybody in a circle, ready, aim...

And let's not forget the Molly Maguires, the Knights of Labor, the IWW, and the thousands of other regular people who were threatened, beaten, abused, arrested, murdered - who organized, marched, barricaded, and sometimes rioted - to win for us such things as the minimum wage, the "weekend," social security, unemployment insurance, safe workplaces, workman's compensation, and equal rights - great social gains that the Democrats have temerity to take credit for when it was us and people like us who forced them to make those changes.

Let's not forget these good men and women who realized that voting, by itself, is about as useful as not voting at all.

-- djmagaro

Yes, Absolutely. Well said.

is the telecom issue worth losing the seat for the Democrats?

Absolutely not. The fate of the Republic rests on having John Barrow in the House and making sure the Democrats have a 252-183 lead rather than a 251-182.

By contrast, the Fourth Amendment and the rule of law don't matter at all -- at least not when weighed against keeping John Barrow in Congress.

For my 15th birthday, I want an electric guitar, a vintage pre-CBS Strat and a Marshall stack, a drum set, synthesizer and a Corvette, and whirled peas.

Adnoto,

Since I am the problem, I've decided that if Sysprog gets me want I want for my 15th birthday, I'll be sooo happy I could die and go to heaven. That will solve all your problems and make the country whole again! It'll work for me as well because I'm really gettin sick of your whining.

;-)

But still, I hope he's got more than hope.

Apologists out there, who would explain away this endorsement as politically astute, miss the point.

Sure, Thomas might be a long shot.

As some other black candidate that I know, used be considered.

Good thing for Obama that his supporters are not so politically astute.

Dear Senator Obama,

I am writing you for the second time today to urge you to take a meaningful stand on the issue of telecom amnesty, which will soon be up for a vote in Congress.

As I understand it, this bill and the back room wheeling and dealing that has been used to push it to a vote are examples of the corrupt politics you hope to stamp out if you become President. This is one of the major reasons you have my support as a presidential candidate.

This makes it difficult for me to understand why you have taped an endorsement for Representative John Barrow and are supporting him in the Georgia primary elections. He wants to vote for the Senate Rockefeller/Cheney telecom amnesty bill, which is a position diametrically opposed to your own statements on this crucial issue.

Senator Obama, why would you support this candidate, even though he is about to betray the Democratic Party and the democratic principles of our nation by voting for a bill that clearly undermines the rule of law?

The groundswell of support for your presidential campaign came from your willingness to break with the destructive policies of the Bush administration. Just think of how electrified your supporters are by your famous antiwar speech, delivered at a time when nearly your entire party was toeing the Bush line.

Please, Senator Obama, have the courage to stand up for what's right on this issue. As the Democratic nominee, you are in the unique position to put pressure on those members of your party who are STILL shilling for the Republicans the same way they did at the beginning of the war.

If you're really the change candidate, if you're really willing to make tough decisions in order to do what's right for our country: Don't support incumbents who brag about voting like Republicans, and please take a stand against telecom immunity.

-------

Their comment form always makes me feel like nobody's going to read what I wrote though. Does anyone have an actual email address?

And let's not forget the Molly Maguires, the Knights of Labor, the IWW, and the thousands of other regular people who were threatened, beaten, abused, arrested, murdered - who organized, marched, barricaded, and sometimes rioted - to win for us such things as the minimum wage, the "weekend," social security, unemployment insurance, safe workplaces, workman's compensation, and equal rights - great social gains that the Democrats have temerity to take credit for when it was us and people like us who forced them to make those changes.

Let's not forget these good men and women who realized that voting, by itself, is about as useful as not voting at all.

The 12th has been gerrymandered to within an inch of its life. It has a large military population. It was re-drawn, scratched out, and re-drawn again in a grotesque power-play to continue the Republican domination of Georgia (and there were bedfellows from the Democratic Party in that game). Regina Thomas is a popular legislator and a reliable one. I respect her and would like to see her win. But the reality of that district is that military voices (and not necessarily just Republican ones) and conservative voices are strong. Another way of framing the question is this: is the telecom issue worth losing the seat for the Democrats? Do you know anything about John Barrow if what you know comes from sitting at your computer in Seattle watching a five-second you-tube clip? I don't know, but if you're going to get involved in a congressional race, whether for or against a candidate, you have to know the realities of that district.

Actually, this is the first thing I've seen Obama do in some time that strikes me as politically mature. It probably wouldn't benefit him electorally to support Barrow over Thomas.

As my students would say, you totally rock.

Thanks for this article. While it may not be easy or comfortable to write anything critical of Obama, you were willing to do so to bring to light these important distinctions. He is clearly a better choice than McCain, but you're absolutely right that he, like any other executive, needs checks and guidance. His advisors and colleagues should play that role, but so should citizens. I appreciate Obama's desire to change politics as usual, but as Mary Parker Follett said while castigating Progressive Era reforms: change comes from the grassroots.