Barack Obama: Asshat

Almost 17,000 of his supporters asking him to be where he was less than six months ago and the best he can do is spin out some Republican Party/Blue Dog talking points on how spying on Americans with no meaningful oversight is necessary to stop teh terrorists.

But hey, at least he responded. It's just that he only flip-flops at the behest of the architects of Conventional Wisdom who have kept Democrats out of the White House in all but 3 elections the last 40 years.

First, Team Obama apparently hasn't seen the news about the Al Haramain decision, where a federal court judge ruled that FISA already was the exclusive authority for electronic surveillance. This has a huge impact on the FISA debate, and Obama isn't even up to snuff.

The exclusivity provision makes it clear to any President or telecommunications company that no law supersedes the authority of the FISA court.

If you're going to respond, at least stop trying to spin us with talking points that are transparently wrong. It's phenomenally insulting and insulting 17,000 supporters who are already pissed off doesn't strike me as wise. Sadly, the crap doesn't stop there.

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. I do so 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.

Yep, we'll just trust you. Because you've done so much to earn good will the last month, what with the complete rush to the center with no regard to promises you'd previously made to us.

Now, I understand why some of you feel differently about the current bill, and I'm happy to take my lumps on this side and elsewhere.

Being a masochist on this isn't going to make us stop, Barack. You will take your lumps, but your willingness comes not from any genuine desire to dialog with the progressive base, but a cold, calculated assessment that our protestations only serve to help you triangulate against us. Because we care about the Constitution and the rule of law, you're able to Sister Souljah us without the messy business of the Sister Souljah moment.

For the truth is that your organizing, your activism and your passion is an important reason why this bill is better than previous versions. No tool has been more important in focusing peoples' attention on the abuses of executive power in this Administration than the active and sustained engagement of American citizens. That holds true -- not just on wiretapping, but on a range of issues where Washington has let the American people down.

Um, yeah, no thanks to you. And it's great that you've decided to hear "our passion" and continue to let us down.

I learned long ago, when working as an organizer on the South Side of Chicago, that when citizens join their voices together, they can hold their leaders accountable. I'm not exempt from that. I'm certainly not perfect, and expect to be held accountable too. I cannot promise to agree with you on every issue.

No shit, Sherlock. All we're asking - in addition to you upholding the Constitution - is that you agree with yourself on every issue. Stop fucking flip-flopping.

Obama finishes strong with an appeal that he is, in fact, the lesser of two evils:

Democracy cannot exist without strong differences. And going forward, some of you may decide that my FISA position is a deal breaker. That's ok. But I think it is worth pointing out that our agreement on the vast majority of issues that matter outweighs the differences we may have. After all, the choice in this election could not be clearer. Whether it is the economy, foreign policy, or the Supreme Court, my opponent has embraced the failed course of the last eight years, while I want to take this country in a new direction. Make no mistake: if John McCain is elected, the fundamental direction of this country that we love will not change.

Honestly, I don't know that there's ever been a more dramatic regression in campaign rhetoric from "Change You Can Believe In" to "I'm Not As Bad As The Other Guy."

Seriously, folks, this is not a response. This is a semi-polite version of "You are expendable." And it sure as shit ain't leadership.