An Open Letter to Barack Obama (since the new FISA bill means I have no choice)

Dear Mr. Obama

Congratulations. Today you faced your first real test as the presumptive Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party.

You failed spectacularly.

You promised to filibuster the FISA bill but instead you went back on your word and voted FOR the FISA bill.

If you are not a man who can be taken at his word – and your campaign is singularly based on words – what good are you?

I issued a warning on your Myspace page, and in a letter to your campaign, that the Audacity of Hope ™ fosters an expectation of delivery. As an example I highlighted the disastrous path that Tony Blair took in the UK.

Having raised public expectation to fever pitch he won his first election in a landslide. But his mendacious march to war in Iraq betrayed everyone who had ever put their trust in him. When he finally resigned from office, the UK breathed a sigh of relief, though the Parliamentary system dictates that the UK is still struggling to live with the ineffectual sack of indecision that is Gordon Brown.

In any event, he got into office on the back of shiny words and by asking the public to trust that he meant what he said.

You’re not even in office, and yet you’ve already started dismantling your own brand.

Most people won’t care about FISA. Most people have no idea what it entails. But while the pundits and the professional journalists, those who have bothered to report the story, pick over the implications of this bill, one glaring question remains, and nobody seems to be asking it.

In which case, I’ll step up and ask it

What do you want with all that power Mr. Obama?

If you are to become President of the United States, and as of this writing, the indications appear to favor that outcome – why do you feel the need to assist in the dismantling of the Constitution ahead of time? What do you have planned?

As a constitutional scholar I’m sure you’re familiar with the 4th amendment:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Do you really believe that the FISA Bill is in any way compatible with the freedoms outlined in this amendment?

They hate us for our freedom ™ is perhaps the most infantile pablum I’ve ever had the misfortune to listen to. I guess with fewer freedoms to enjoy, the theory is they’ll hate us less now.

Not much of a policy is it?

So as of today, I find that in all good conscience I can no longer support your campaign and will no longer be donating to you. And that truly saddens me.

Don’t worry, you haven’t lost my vote. I’m not a citizen so you never had it. But I am married to an American and I am a resident here, and legal precedent afforded me some small measure of protection under the 4th amendment.

That’s gone now. And all I did to merit that action was simply wake up this morning.

Ask yourself who won today, Mr. Obama. Who was defended?

It certainly wasn’t the American people.

10 Responses to “An Open Letter to Barack Obama (since the new FISA bill means I have no choice)”

1. Jim says:

   July 10, 2008 at 8:26 pm

   Bloody hell, mate, you know you’ve just got yourself moved up “The List”.
2. stelpavlou says:

   July 10, 2008 at 9:00 pm

   If you’ve heard I’ve gone East, you’ll know what happened.
3. Eric says:

   July 10, 2008 at 10:02 pm

   What is really funny is I think Stel has put the same blog post in his MySpace page, but when I go there it throws an error..

   Heh..
4. Rodney says:

   July 13, 2008 at 3:57 am

   “If you are not a man who can be taken at his word – and your campaign is singularly based on words – what good are you?”

   If it took this vote on FISA to tell you this about Sen Obama you’re way behind the rest of us suspect of his character. He is all words and flash.
5. Eric Aitala says:

   July 14, 2008 at 2:52 pm

   Of course one could take the ‘courageous’ route of McCain and not even bother to vote on the bill. Straight talk indeed…

   EMA
6. stelpavlou says:

   July 14, 2008 at 8:04 pm

   That’s a very good point.
7. Stephen says:

   July 21, 2008 at 1:47 am

   Thank you, Stel for expressing my thoughts exactly. FISA is just one of the many policies he has broken his word on. Campaign finance, NAFTA are a couple more. Over the past few weeks Mr. Obama has exposed himself to be just another power hungry politician who will do anything he needs to do to insure victory and not the politician above the fray he claimed to be. I guess these young people that Obama swooned are getting rude awakening.

   I fear for the country I live in.

   Again…good words, Stel. I appreciate you, man.
8. Eric Aitala says:

   July 21, 2008 at 1:00 pm

   Vote for McCain – Restore Czechoslovakia to its former glory!

   http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2008/07/8998_john_mccain_mee.html

   Just wait until he learns about the google… http://www.mahalo.com/McCain_Computer_Illiterate

   Dr E
9. The crap sandwich served up by the Obama Administration | stelpavlou.com says:

   April 9, 2009 at 6:30 pm

   [...] Now the Obama Administration has said it really can’t be bothered restoring privacy and civil liberties with regards to the illegal wire-tapping under the Bush Administration. My reaction to Obama’s pathetic FISA vote is here. [...]
10. The flaccid urgency of whenever? | stelpavlou.com says:

    September 2, 2009 at 11:13 am

    [...] is what I wrote on July 10, 2008: You promised to filibuster the FISA bill but instead you went back on your word and voted FOR the [...]