Olbermann Special Comment: Obama's Second Chance On FISA

In a "Special Comment" on Countdown WIth Keith Olbermann tonight, the MSNBC host told his audience that Barack Obama has been presented with a second chance to make a first impression in an upcoming vote on the FISA bill:

And he damned well better take it. The Senate vote on this tortured and reckless piece of legislation has now been postponed until after the 4th of July break. The Democrats, completing their FISA experience, a collective impression of Homer Simpson falling off a cliff and hitting every bramble on the way down, didn't exactly plan this fortuitous delay.

Watch the entire Special Comment below:

Comments

[carlmarks]

keith - from failed sportscaster to failed political pundit

[toby25]

Gee, The messiah Obama is the one who is sounding like another 4 years of Bush...not McCain.

[nomobull]

why because the media pundits say so

[JohnIII]

"And he damned well better take it."

Or what? Keith will get mad? That would be terrible.

[sharonh]

Bet Obama calls first thing to rethink his stand after he hears ya Keith. See how relevant you are?

[DallasMike]

Well I guess that will do it then.
All it takes is a tounge lashing by Doberman and OB will just step in line like a good little lib.

[LawSource]

Obama's response to FISA compromise

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Senator-Obama-s-response-t-by-August-Adams-080630-860.html

This is a letter written to op-ed columnist August Adams. I'm pasting the full text below:

"Thank you for contacting me concerning the President's domestic surveillance program. I appreciate hearing from you.

Providing any President with the flexibility necessary to fight terrorism without compromising our constitutional rights can be a delicate balance. I agree that technological advances and changes in the nature of the threat our nation faces may require that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), enacted in 1978, be updated to reflect the reality of the post 9/11 world. But that does not absolve the President of the responsibility to fully brief Congress on the new security challenge and to work cooperatively with Congress to address it.

As you know, Congress has been considering the issue of domestic surveillance since last year. Just before the August recess in 2007, Congress passed hastily crafted legislation to expand the authority of the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence to conduct surveillance of suspected foreign terrorists without a warrant or real oversight, even if the targets are communicating with someone in the United States. This legislation was signed into law by the President on August 5, 2007.

CONTINUE BELOW.....

[MauriceBendix]

I love Olbermann, and like him am sympathetic to Obama.
I think he's reaching a bit here, in trying to let Obama have his
cake and eat it too. It's not a flip-flop, it's a movement to the
center. We on the left will have to accept a bit of this. As long
as someone is watching the watchers, I don't care. No way will
the government prosecute the telecoms. The ultimate issue is
whether or not the white house is abusing federal law for political
tricks. That changes if Obama gets in.

[transendentilist]

It's not a move to the CENTER. It's a move to the right. The extreme right. Obama is a neo-con in disguise. I said it before this and I am saying it now. He is a phoney!

[mephjeff]

I think you mean 'phony'. Unless this was a witty telecom pun, in which case, carry on.

Also, a neocon? You do know that neo-conservatism as an ideology involves using US superpower to dominate and subjugate other sovereign nations in order to maintain American hegemony...how did "phoney" Obama show his neocon bona fides by voting against the war in Iraq?

Think before you spew.

[greginwva]

Im so tired of these cry baby know it all extreme left wingers who seem to think they're Barack Obamas base.Your not.The best thing you can do is quit crying and vote for McCain,Nader or Barr.The Democratic base is more worried about 4000 plus dead Americans who had no bussiness fighting in Iraq and restoring the economy.Maybe Nader will give you your pint of blood.More likely McCain will spill buckets of it in Iran.

[Prism]

I'm with you! A stealth candidate who punked an entire political party. I've smelled a rat from the beginning and he validates all my worst fears. As I've said many times before, Hillary is the true Progressive when measured against this fraud.

[realitycheck2008]

"It's not a flip-flop, it's a movement to the
center." That's priceless. Any "movement" Sen. H made was called "pandering".

[MrMephistoX]

Did any of you even watch this in it's entirety? The bill actually only prevents Civil law-suits but it does not immunize Telecoms from criminal charges. Obama is an intelligent guy he probably has read the legislation in it's entirety and might be planning to prosecute once he is elected. Nothing would prevent him from doing so unless the legislation is revised and it gives him an opportunity to please both sides.

[ouroborous]

Read Greenwald on why this assumption of a "secret plan" is preposterous.

At least Olbermann called Obama on this. Sort of.

That's more than any of the other fawning sycophants have done so far.

[AnotherTry]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4RgIc02QY4

[Destin]

My dream ticket would be an Obama/Olberman '08 ticket, lol. Such a shame that K.O. is the only journalist in America that passed Journalism 101 class. Well, I guess Dan Abrams isn't so bad either. But damn, why is it that only those 2 even dare to question our government, leaders, etc, and to hold them accountable?? It's gotten to the point I've about quit watching CNN for all their pity party bullcrap. About the only person at CNN who isn't always shaking afraid to speak their mind, is dear old Jack, lol. And the communist parties that run our country easily dismiss him as "a grumpy old man". They also try to malign K.O. as a "retired sportscaster" when they forget he worked first as a journalist, ESPN only ever hired him because he was a bona-fide journalist who would give the brand new "entertainment and sports programming network" the credibility it needed. Their only other choice would have been to use retired jocks to tell the news. And we know how well that flies, right? ;)

[meanguy]

olbermann is NOT a journalist...he's a talking head, a bloviator, and spewer of opinion...he does nothing unique...or well

[nonofyabusiness]

your not mean...your STUPID!!!

[inluvwkeitholbermann]

well i guess having a degree from cornell university (top ten in the national rankings) and the ability to formulate intelligent thoughts (he writes those outstanding special comments) and being part of the best cable news show EVER is nothing special.

....and as for him starting out as a sportscaster (mentioned below), what difference does that make??....it's not how you start, it's how you finish. KO has set a new elevated standard for cable news or ANY television news show.

[DFreedomMan]

KO and Abrams both are horrible. They both make Sean Hannity on FOX look like he walks the fence on issues. MSNBC is a joke. They should start broadcasting over the airwaves in February 2009.

[elan4444]

Oops - sorry for the typos in previous post.

[Agent420]

You forum monitors must be conservatives. Bite me. There! Are you happy? No bad words. Go fornicate elsewhere!

[docpooh]

The past couple of weeks have given me pause in my enthusiasm for Obama. I don't like the movement right-wards. I'm still smarting a lil' bit, but I have faith that once elected, he'll be able to bring about change. (Or I won't vote to re-elect him.) Thanks Keith for lessening my anxiety over Sen. Obama's FISA stance; your advice to him is sound.

Just please stop doing that thing with your voice (no, I don't mean talking) when you try to imitate Bush and other "baddies". It makes my skin crawl.

[realitycheck2008]

docpooh - wow, the kool-aid must be wearing off - too bad the effects lasted as long as they did and this pretender will be the nominee

[docpooh]

I still think Obama is an honorable person but I have always recognized/feared that he would become more of a Washington insider in time. Politics does that to good people. I also expect that Obama will makes some decisions that are not popular, I was just hoping it would not be until much later, after his inauguration. I'm not sure what you mean by pretender. Perhaps you think there were some "non-pretenders" (whatever that might be) in the race, if so they did not make it past the March primaries. I'm willing to give Sen. Obama a chance. Too bad you're not.

Oh, and it's KO's "worse person in the world" voice to which I was referring.

[neesy08]

I saw this last night. First HRC tries to blackmail him to make her his VP, and now KO is trying to force him to redo a vote. is it something in the air?

[Quitcherbichin]

Listening to Olberbamas rant I took offense at his statement that George Bush, and his party were "at fault for 9/11. This yahoo is a moron. It is no wonder that PMSNBC is the least watched of all the cable news networks. Olberbama and his softball buddy Chris Mattews are joke. In another day and time they would have been called traitors or treasons. Sad commentary on how far this country has descended.

[ebanks84]

You should not take offense at the TRUTH. Google "9/11 truths" and see what you don't know. Keith knows the truth just like most Americans by now. Wake up please.

[DFreedomMan]

Ebanks and Olber-idiot are both pantywastes.

[goldenshaman]

Bush was in charge on 911. No, he was on vacation in spite of being warned. If it's on your watch, it's your fault.

[FirstShirt]

Sorry, doesn't wash. But darned nice try. The democrats presided over the run up to 911 and held all of the military, diplomatic and intelligence power during the Clinton presidency. You failed. You devastated human intelligence and the military with your antimilitary and antiintelligence attitudes. Now you want another bite of the apple and there are many who are getting all sweaty over the possibility that you will get another chance to advance to the rear.

[Donnat]

He was loafing during Katrina too and hasn't done very much for the MidWest. The Bush strategy is 'ignore it and it will go away, and if it doesn't, one of my lackeys will attack the patriotism of those involved"

[keclxivq]

HuffPost's Pick

"Sad commentary on how far this country has descended." No sir!
What is sad:
We (the People) no longer seek out the truth and make those people responsible pay the price.
We (the People) allow our government to lie, kill and steal in the name of peace (and oil).
We (the People) are concerned with how to get to work and feed our families with prices climbing faster than is possible for most to keep up.
We (the People) voted to put the same guys back in the job of running this country that had already told so many lies they could no longer remember the truth if it bit them in the butt.

I could go on and on. I realize there isn't anyway I can help change things so long as people such as yourself are here to knock anyone down that might question authority.
You, along with so many other Americans having your heads so far up your butt is what's really the saddest of all. Starting at your colon is not a path to the truth about 9/11 or every other thing that has happened since January 2001.
I'm very tired of the same B/S arguments people throw at anyone who question those in charge. Which in fact is our duty according to the smart folks that started this country. Questioning my leaders isn't only my right but is my duty!! Good day sir!

[FirstShirt]

You apparently are a fan of fiction. Before long the democrats will be going after history texts like they are the "fairness doctrine". Oh, and "authority" includes bags of MSM hot air like KO.

How many times was the World Trade Center the target during the democrat's reign? One.

Who was the CIA director for Clinton and Bush? the same man.

How many times were american interests attacked during Clinton's reign? Well, the Cole, embassies, etc.

How many times have we been attacked since 911, iraq and Afganistan? None.

[pilgrim7]

Great post, Keclxivq. Too bad most just don't get it, which is why our country is in the shape it's in and will continue to remain there without good, responsible leadership.

[Spesabsquemetu]

Amen.

[Spesabsquemetu]

You nailed it Keclxivq.

And now we are seeing more evidence of the intent to distort the truth, by absurd proposals suggesting that "John McCain's military record is under attack" - all because Gen. Wes Clark DARED ask questions, - valid questions about whether John McCain has the leadership, the intelligence, the ABILITY TO LEAD THIS NATION.

McCain would rather that we blindly follow him, and the terrorist funders helping his campagin, than ASK A QUESTION, where we would dare SEEK THE TRUTH.

[DFreedomMan]

Go get a box of tissues, pantywaste.

[Alethea]

Oh, GWB is VERY deserving of blame. He was warned by the FBI that something EXACTLY like what happened on 9/11 COULD happen. They DID have the intelligence to prevent it in August 2001, but Bush either didn't read the memo, or read it and decided to do nothing. Either way, he screwed up big time.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0409041pdb1.html

FACT: 9/11 happened on Bush's watch.
FACT: The Clinton Administration did what they could to warn them. http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB147/index.htm
FACT: Osama Bin Laden is still on the loose, or even possibly dead.
http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=UnychOXj9Tg
FACT: Iraq didn't have WMD's and Bush KNEW that was a good possibility months before we invaded. http://www.downingstreetmemo.com/docs/memotext.pdf
FACT: Bush was warned about the threats of Hurricane Katrina before it landed but apparently didn't take them seriously. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11627394/

Bush has gotten people killed with his incompetence on many occasions, not to mention that the number of Iraqis killed since the invasion has probably met, or exceeded, the number of people Saddam Hussein killed. Unfortunately, no-one counts exactly, but this study estimated 655,000 Iraqis back in 2006 (which is the most recent I can find).
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/10/11/iraq.deaths/

I dread to imagine what they are at now.

As they say, "if you aren't outraged, then you aren't paying attention."

[JohnIII]

Fact: The USS Cole was bombed during Clinton's administration.
We should have retaliated with all our might then.

[longnow]

One of these days keith Olbermann he is really
going to push the envelope like he did with "shut the hell up".
He is going to go off on the GOP for the joke they've become.
He's going to do it, he's going to ridicule them with a non-stop
breathless "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore".
He's going to call out all the right wing know-nothings all the
backward MORANS poising as human beans...
not to mention the morons too.)

[ebanks84]

And I'll be there to hear it.

[FirstShirt]

I for one am sick and tired of human beans. :)

[enoughalready13]

Beans for brains!