"This Administration has put forward a false choice between the liberties we cherish and the security we demand. When I am president, there will be no more illegal wire-tapping of American citizens; no more national security letters to spy on citizens who are not suspected of a crime; no more tracking citizens who do nothing more than protest a misguided war. Our Constitution works, and so does the FISA court. "

Too bad Obama doesn't believe that anymore. - Joan Walsh

Joan, how do we really know Obama ever believed those words?

Evidently the media has convinced some Americans that it's ok to say one thing during the primaries and another in the general election. They refer to this type of disingenuous campaigning as wisely moving to the "center" and actually give these candidates credit for being so politically astute instead of making them pay a price for lying to voters in the primary. Quite frankly I'm sick of the beltway pundits who are so morally challenged that they actually applaud this kind of scurilous behavior. Shame on them and shame on us for letting them get away with it in every election. We deserve better and until we start demanding it we will never get it.

Every time I start to pull out the checkbook, one of you Hillbots goes on another rant and I think again. Joan you are entitled to your own opinion. But not your own facts. If you had actually listened to Obama you would know that the only thing he changed was his decision not to take public campaign funding.

I agree wholeheartedly with that decision. The NRA already has 40 million set aside to defeat Obama. The public funds of 85 million wouldn't stand a chance. Democrats have been carrying knives to gun battles far too long. I love Russ Feingold but the McCain-Feingold was a disaster for the Dems. It was like they said, "Hey let's outlaw guns" and the Republicants said, "OK, you first" and then they shot the unarmed Dems.

Guns, (constitutional law professor) death penalty for child rapists(he has two daughters), faith based organizations (he got started that way)- these are all there in his books and speeches. Were you Listening?

As for Media bias - what do you call this, Editor?

Is this the beginning where all the promises go to hell? I have to vote for Obama to get those Replublicans out of the White House. But I am counting on him and his party cleaning up the mess of the last eight years plus the mess left over from the 102nd Congress.

McCain was confronted by a Vietnam Vet yesterday in a townhall meeting yesterday on his voting record on veteran health care coverage. I found out that he has a D and a 20% favorability record from respected vet organizations where Obama has a B and 80% from same. Who knew? I didn't and I watch this stuff.

What I do hear is this left, Joan Walsh type of disappointment. Please stop it Ms. Walsh.

Tom Delay says that we should head into Iran NOW before Obama becomes President. McCain sounds close to same. Thanks but no thanks. Before I wait for the Dems to stand up in Congress, I'll take to the streets thank you before our men and women in uniform head into war with Iran.

I'm not happy with FISA and wish he'd voted otherwise, but Ms. Walsh, can you focus on McCain like you focus on Obama and maybe you can then act like an editor and add some balance and we can pretend this is journalism at work.

This is really a pitiful commentary. It skirts around the reality of what Senator Obama is working toward. FISA is not perfect, nor is any other bill/law. The news media is doing a poor job of actually disecting the FISA law to explain what is so wrong with it. If most readers truly understood the law the media would have to search for something else to write about, because the average citizen would not be upset. Again, I think this is pitiful reporting... very lazy work. Maybe you are still in the vacation mode.

Is a false god, bitches.

It isn't just Obama. What about the other Democrats who caved in? Anyway, remember the Dukakis-George I contest when Dukakis was shown in Tank to prove his credentials as a hawk? It didn't do him much good with the right wing and just made him look funny to the liberals who were supporting him. Obama is in that Dukakis moment. I'll vote for him anyway,but I am not expecting us to get back our Constitution or our civil liberties. The Son of Cain will be vastly worse. What little is left of the Constitution will go the way of the dodo.

Actually, it turns out Obama chose not to vote either way back in February as well. For some reason I thought he'd voted against FISA in February.

You expressed my feelings completely.

My friends probably consider me a flaming liberal but I swear Ron Paul is looking better and better. With Pelosi and Reid carrying water for the NeoCons, and Obama and Hillary lobbying for the Likud- I tell you what- I'm getting more and more disgusted. Some change. At least McCain is what he is.

David Neal

Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, voted against the FISA bill, but I think "what ifs" are unproductive. Matthew Yglesias' self-justifying fiction that, if she was the nominee, she'd have done what Obama did, is silly.

Actually, we know exactly what Clinton would have done were she still in the running for president. That's because she already did it.

When this vote first came up in the Senate back in February and was slated to go through, Clinton chose not to vote at all rather than risk offending someone.

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00020

Clinton knew that not voting was the same as voting for it, and that was her choice.

So, please. Spare us the "Clinton voted against it, that proves she's the real progressive!!" nonsense. Clinton had an opportunity to show some leadership on this back when she had something to lose, and decided against it, same as Obama has done now. (Note: Obama didn't do it then: in February, he voted against FISA.)

Note, none of this excuses what Obama has done. The point of this is to show that there is no progressive, pro-freedom leadership in this country. Thank god for people like Feingold, Boxer, Dodd, etc. But they don't lead their party, clearly.