A very telling fact was that Obama was one of those voting for it as well. That told me at least who Obama was. I was never fooled by his hope and change rhetoric, that one action said all I wanted to know before he even started running for pres.
Here is Sen Obama's 2008 reason for flip flopping on the issue:
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"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.
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But what was the alternative? McCain missed that vote, but had been strongly for telecom immunity all along, and was much more vocal about it than Obama. Hillary Clinton's husband Bill ran Echelon and Carnivore, the odds she would be different were low to nil.
Incidentally in this case it is worth noting that Obama stayed in the letter of his promise. There was a warrant. Whether that warrant was properly obtained, or should be legal is a different question. But there actually was a warrant from the rubber-stamp FISA court.
A very telling fact was that Obama was one of those voting for it as well. That told me at least who Obama was. I was never fooled by his hope and change rhetoric, that one action said all I wanted to know before he even started running for pres.
Here is Sen Obama's 2008 reason for flip flopping on the issue:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/20/obama-backs-bill-gi...
--- "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. ---