Obama Backs Bill Giving Immunity To Telecoms

Obama Backs Bill Giving Immunity To Telecoms

www.huffingtonpost.com

Sen. Barack Obama's campaign released a statement Friday afternoon saying that while Obama opposes amnesty for telecom firms that spied on Americans, he will support the House compromise legislation.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Wow, as an Obama supporter I must say I am incredibly disappointed and even a little pissed off. His statement tries to explain why he made the call to vote this way I still find it very disturbing and I have definitely lost respect for him as a politician.

He is now clearly in my mind part of the Pelosi cohort and I find it sickening.

Please follow the link to read his long winded 'explanation' or 'excuse' for his actions.

I really need some hope at them moment and FFS this is NOT 'change we can believe in'. More like 'more more sill NOT to believe in'....

The immunity for telecoms is a complete cave-in to the Bush administration and a handout. It not only protects the Telecoms but also protects Bush. This is a clear sign to me Obama is no different. Dam it, I am truly pissed.

www.huffingtonpost.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 20-6-2008 by Animal]

Obama says:

"Under this compromise legislation, an important tool in the fight against terrorism will continue, but the President's illegal program of warrantless surveillance will be over. It restores FISA and existing criminal wiretap statutes as the exclusive means to conduct surveillance - making it clear that the President cannot circumvent the law and disregard the civil liberties of the American people. It also firmly re-establishes basic judicial oversight over all domestic surveillance in the future. It does, however, grant retroactive immunity, and I will work in the Senate to remove this provision so that we can seek full accountability for past offenses. But this compromise guarantees a thorough review by the Inspectors General of our national security agencies to determine what took place in the past, and ensures that there will be accountability going forward. By demanding oversight and accountability, a grassroots movement of Americans has helped yield a bill that is far better than the Protect America Act. (Emphasis Added)

Sounds like a cop out to me. I do not understand why they simply could not continue to stonewall the administration and the Republicans who mostly continue to support Bushco. This is a betrayal, plain and simple. 129 others voted against this, but Obama thought it was more important to join Pelosi and her ilk?

Edit to add: I have to admit I called Obama on DOING something in this thread he has not yet done. Obama is in the Senate and not the Congress so he has voted on nothing. He has only said he supports the legislation, to a certain degree, as it is now written.

I am still angry that he would support this, though I do concede that he has said in his statement he would work to "strip retroactive immunity" in the Senate, though it still seems to be a cop-out.





[edit on 20-6-2008 by Animal]

I'm not sure when it is going to happen, but there's is going to come a time when the disillusionment from Obama supporters reaches a tipping point.

Obama has consistently said one thing and done another. Someone wrote today in an editorial that Obama has become the consummate politician by claiming he's not a politician.

I think if you look at how many primaries he lost since Ohio, and by how much, it's safe to say that people are seeing through him. This is just the latest example.

I dont know what the big surprise it. They are called republicrats for a reason. They are a 2 party mafia dictatorship. Obama is a tool of the powers that be just like McCain. Pelosi is the one who really disgusts me though. She talked a HUGE game and the moment elected did a complete 180. She should be tried from treason. I think we all need to hold taxes because the government is not doing the will of the people. Taxation without representation is why we went to war the first time.

Well now we've touched on a subject that Obama and I sit on opposite ends of. He's going to have to realize eventually that supporting this bill will hurt him when he gets to office. I support him, but if he's going to make good on his promise to prosecute any crimes that may have been committed, he needs to pull aways from this, if not, any investigation into this is going to hit a wall.

Edit to Add:

Obama sits on committees that would know something about this. Maybe he knows something we don't, alot of this info is still classified. Maybe the NSA pushed the telecoms into it through intimidation, but to give them immunity before we know the fact, by we I mean you and I, is just plain bad policy.








[edit on 21-6-2008 by projectvxn]

[edit on 21-6-2008 by projectvxn]

[edit on 21-6-2008 by projectvxn]