What's worse than a terrorist attack in October?
A terrorist attack than can be blamed on Barrack Obama and every Democrat running for Congress, that's what.
Just imagine the scenario. Thousands dead. The heart of an American city in ruins.
And -- at least according to the Republicans -- it's all the Barrack Obama's and the Democrats' fault.
"If only Obama and the Democrats hadn't blocked critical surveillance tools last summer, the plot might have been discovered in time," President Bush sadly intones from Ground Zero.
Now imagine John McCain in the White House, a Congress Republican-enough to do his bidding, and a Supreme Court stacked with lock-step conservatives for the next generation.
This is the real reason why Obama and the Democratic leadership in Congress have no choice but to pass the FISA compromise. It's the best they can do for now, and they can't do nothing.
Consider this passage from Obama's defense of his FISA position.
The ability to monitor and track individuals who want to attack the United States is a vital counter-terrorism tool, and I'm persuaded that it is necessary to keep the American people safe -- particularly since certain electronic surveillance orders will begin to expire later this summer. Given the choice between voting for an improved yet imperfect bill, and losing important surveillance tools, I've chosen to support the current compromise.
In short, the Democrats can't be responsible for "losing important surveillance tools" while Bush is still in office because they would surely be slaughtered as scapegoats if a terrorist attack should occur before the election.
Charlie Black was right when he said that a terrorist attack would be a "big advantage" for McCain. That advantage would be multiplied, though, if the blame for that terrorist attack could be laid at Obama's door. It would also be a sharp sword for all those Republican incumbents fighting for their political lives in Congressional races.
It's just not a chance Democrats can or should take. Too much depends on taking this country back in November -- Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, the viability of the planet, the make-up of the Supreme Court, the economy, health care, hope for the poor and disenfranchised...
...and reclaiming the Fourth Amendment. I, for one, am willing to trust that President Obama and his Attorney General John Edwards will defend the Constitution with gusto.
I do so (support the compromise) with the firm intention -- once I'm sworn in as president -- to have my Attorney General conduct a comprehensive review of all our surveillance programs, and to make further recommendations on any steps needed to preserve civil liberties and to prevent executive branch abuse in the future.