My letter to Senator Obama re: FISA

sent via Obama's Senate email at 5:30PM, June 19th

Dear Senator Obama -

 I have donated twice to your presidential campaign.  And you will be getting my vote in November.  But I am very disappointed that you have not spoken up forcefully about the ridiculous "compromise" currently in the House regarding FISA and telecom immunity.  As the party's standard-bearer, your voice telling Pelosi and Hoyer not to agree to gut the the amendment would absolutely make the difference.

 By the time this gets to the Senate, it is probably too late, since Rockefeller will support it.  You have almost unique power to stop this now.  If you do not speak out publicly, forcefully and unequivocally to sop it, I will still vote for you in Nov.  But you won't be getting any more money from me.  And I won't be making any phone calls or doing any local work for you.

More below the fold

 There are a lot of important issues out there, I know.  I am opposed to the Iraq supplemental without strings attached also, but I am not asking you to tread into that minefield beyond your current position.  And then there is impeachment.    

  But this is different.  The substantial majority of Americans oppose immunity.  It is an even more naked end-run around the constitution than some of the other things we have seen.  If you look at the districts of many of the moderate democrats who have supported immunity either directly or by voting for "compromises", majorities in those districts oppose immunity as well.  I find it extremely difficult to believe that people like Rockefeller and the Blue Dogs truly believe that a lack of immunity will make us less safe.  I can only conclude that the money and influence of the telecoms and others are making the difference, and the politicians are calculating - maybe correctly - that they will not be hurt by it.

 There is no better opportunity for you to stand up and prove that not only do you stand against the lobbyists, not only do you stand for the Constitution and against Executive abuse of power, but you will use the clout you now have to make sure things like this don't happen.  If not, I'm no sure how I can expect you to do it in January 2012 either.

 As I said, you have my vote.  And I like much of what you stand for.  But this is too critical an issue and too obvious an opportunity for me to forgive a lack of aggressive action.  And I doubt I am the only one for whom the future relationship between you and our pocketbooks will be tremendously influenced by what you do now.