Since yesterday I've been in a funk about this FISA mess. The Democratic leadership, all of them, have basically capitulated to Bush's demands for telecom immunity and warrantless wiretapping capabilities. The biggest blow was when Senator Barack Obama actually supported the measure, albeit with reservations.
But instead of groveling and whining, let's look at the upside. Today, Republicans have invested the executive branch with near-dictatorial powers, free of oversight or impediment. 4th Amendment? Forget about it! And in just seven months time (fingers crossed) those powers will be bestowed upon President Obama.
So let's look at the upside folks, and start asking: Who should President Obama wiretap?
And don't worry, the Republicans won't complain about it. After all, they forced this horrible bill upon us! They begged for it, they stamped their feet, they put up counters telling us how long it's been since warrantless wiretapping was legal, they wrote op-eds and blog posts galore calling for this bill. So when Obama wields these powers, they will have no one to blame but themselves.
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