Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Will the Democrats Ever Learn?

By Robert Parry
July 8, 2008

A popular Washington saying holds that “politics is about the future, not the past.” Regrettably, that often translates into sweeping serious wrongdoing under the rug in the name of “looking to the future” – a mistake the Democrats appear poised to make again in approving a new wiretapping law.

What infuriates the Democratic “base” and many other Americans about this “compromise” bill is not only that it grants the President powers beyond the narrow technological fixes that were initially cited, but that it sanctions a cover-up of George W. Bush’s past abuses of power.

Read on.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Once again,we are sold out.Any politician voting for this is an accomplice to this crime,including Barack Obama.We are no longer a free country instead we are ruled by an Orwellian potentate,an modern version of the Soviet Union.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Parry, it is not enough that you ask "will the Democrats ever learn?" and, almost as an aside, mention you're including Obama in that query.

You, and others, jumped on the Obama Bandwagon when many of us progressives/liberals saw him early-on for what he is. While you, and others, were waving your cheerleaders' pom-poms for Mr. Walk on Water, many of us had already gotten his number as a fraud.

You can blame Bush and his hubris 'til the cows come home, but Obama as the presumptive presidential nominee warrants a more thorough vetting by you and others.

Regarding the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. A Dec. 17 release from Obama's Senate office read: "Sen. Obama unequivocally opposes giving retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies and has cosponsored Sen. Dodd's efforts to remove that provision from the FISA bill. Granting such immunity undermines the constitutional protections Americans trust the Congress to protect. Sen. Obama supports a filibuster of this bill, and strongly urges others to do the same."

Now he supports immunity for the companies that spied on Americans.

Do your job, Parry! Focus on the future -- dig deeper on Obama.

Anonymous said...

Your fundraising would improve exponentionally if you provided unbiased reporting on Obama.

Robert B. Livingston said...

Is it surprising that the mainstream media is largely hiding this story? Had it not been for Daniel Ellsberg speaking out about it, I might not have noticed the story.

It does surprise me that the netroots are now beginning to recognize Obama as the corporate politician he clearly is-- hardly without Ralph Nader's help. Will they all fall into line again on the argument that Obama is the lesser evil? Indubitably.

(I no longer expect miracles.)

I am still wondering why the the House held a closed session last March in advance of the FISA Ammendments Act discussion. What were our representatives told?
http://tinyurl.com/5bseht

Surveillance... and secrecy. Our Constitution is being desecrated.

I recall when Mr. X, George F. Kennan, concluded late in life that American democracy and secrecy are probably mutually exclusive.

I wonder anymore.

Where are the wise?

Are we truly headed toward Iran and greater mayhem?

Or are our fears just being further manipulated by our true terrorists... our own fascists with friendly faces and Carnegie smiles?

Anonymous said...

Mr. Livingston wonders: Is it surprising that the mainstream media is largely hiding this story?

Well, Mr. Livingston, why is it that the alternative media is largely ignoring the story as it pertains to the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee?

At this point it is such an overworked cliche, but the Obama Bandwagon devotees have drunk the Kool-aid.

A bandwagon is a dangerous vehicle!

Robert B. Livingston said...

Read Eric Larsen's book A Nation Gone Blind, and you might have an answer to your question, Fact Checker.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Parry, Still got that Obama fever? Months ago it was one anti Hillary seizure after another from you. Obam is covering up for the Bush crimes even before he gets elected. Isn't that an unpardonable sin for a Clinton? If the Democrats were going to choose a triangulating corporatist and apologist/enabler of Republicans shouldn't they have chosen one from a world class politicial team/family that knows how to beat Republicans. No wonder you have essentially NO comments on your blog. You and Obama have been exposed. Once you were the "most important" site on the web. Now what??