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

[MsDoc]

Two quotes:

1. You can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot please all of the people all of the time.

2. "This above all else...to thine own self be true..."

I tend to be a 'if you believe it, say it and take the hit kinda person (which explains my meterotic rise through the hiearchies of our society) so I agree with KO on this one. But I'm not running for President of this fragmented land, either. I am sure, since Senator O'bama is no dummy, that he is aware of all of this as well. This leaves me with the obvious question: Why?

I have been tremendously disappointed in his first moves on the FISA chess board but I have decided that I must trust him on this one. As usual, I have resorted to KISS: Either I trust him, or I don't. If I trust him enough to support him for President, then maybe I should hang back until after the July machinations before I go ballistic. If he wusses out then....a quandry.

Nonetheles­s... Mc'Cain or O'bama...?­?? See???? KISS at work.

[MsDoc]

PS...

Nancy Pelosi, on the other hand..... BLECCCCCH.

[TruthHasSpoken]

Trust him on this, or you phone/cable bills will go off the roof. Don't worry the criminals will still be prosecuted.

[Lemeritus]

Well....

For Keith Olbermann it was...

Uh...

Stern! That's it! Like the kind of talk a promising student might get from a disappointed teacher. Nothing like the scoldings of yore, but.... well...

And, in the end, even Keith disappeared down the rabbit hole of "Nothing says PRESIDENT Obama can't fix this once he's in office." Which is true, just not very reassuring.

We've talked and talked and talked about FISA -- about what it does and what it doesn't do. What it doesn't do is restore ANYTHING! FISA existed then, FISA exists now. Bush broke the FISA law then, and he can break the FISA law today or tomorrow BECAUSE WE REFUSE TO DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY! We can assume his successor will duly note the latitude granted. That's what this is all about -- not sticking it to the telecoms, not compromising national secuity, but about the simple rule of law.

I would have expected a little more spit to fly from Olbermann in this regard.

[Alethea]

Good point.

Obama's tactic (if this is what he's going to do) is just raising the stakes isn't it? I mean, he's banking on the fact that he will become Prez and can appoint an AG who will actually look into this stuff.

But all it did was put the Republicans between a rock and a hard place. Now, they have no choice BUT to get McCain into office, otherwise they may ALL end up in jail.

Why do I have this ominous feeling that bombs will be dropping on Iran sooner rather than later.... ?

[lthuedk 1]

None of us knows the truth. What intellectual would dare say they've not vacillated?

It is a Conservative tendency to lock in and lock step, and think, not as individuals, but as robots. Looking at all aspects and constantly appreciating nuance is a Liberal tendency. It is guaranteed that Keith Olbermann will change again and for that, I say he's not a hypocrite but very, very smart.

People like Roger Ailes, Bill O'Reilly, and Rupert Murdoch are incapable of change. That's the main reason why I don't care to waste the time tuning in to the two-dimensional right wing mind set.

http://www.light-to-dark.com/bill_o_ailes.html

[RavagesOfTime]

Unlike EVERYBODY ELSE, Keith is showing actual fairness and balance.

He's not "Either you do everything I agree with 100 percent of the time all the time, or you can go to hell!" and "I love you so much, you can do no wrong ever!" like most of the blogosphere on both sides.

[CallMeDeaconBlues]

The jury is still out on how fair KO is. I never heard him tear into the House Speaker or the Majority Leader. Should O become prez, I would like to see if he agrees with every decision there.

He practically gave O a common sense guide to FI$A with the consequences to boot last night.

[buggedabouttheus]

Excellent! I like Keith. I love John Dean. I support Obama and I think he ought to do exactly as Keith suggest. There needs to be a way to hold this administration accountable.

[Seven7s]

I agree with Keith. Does Obama seriously think these rednecks and evangelical psychos would really vote for him no matter what he says or promises?

Does he really think they will stop calling him unpatriotic? most white people in the South arent going to vote for anybody with skin darker than a paper bag. And surely not someone with the middle name Hussien.

People voted for him in the primary because he was bold and new.

John McCain was at the center and is running to the right as fast as he can. And Obama is chasing him. PATHETIC.

[Lemeritus]

"John McCain was at the center and is running to the right as fast as he can. And Obama is chasing him."

Well said, and distressing!

[PATina]

John McCain was at the center and is running to the right as fast as he can. And Obama is chasing him. PATHETIC.


EXACTLY !!!!! I don't expect a politician to agree w/ me on everything­... but I DO expect them to say what they mean and mean what they say. He said he was different.­.. and even acted different during the primaries. Now I'm being told that I have to accept his moving to the right because that's politics and usual. I'm sorry... but I didn't go from independent to democrat to vote for him in the primaries because I wanted politics as usual.

[OutsourcedAgain]

Exactly! Well said!

[mcole]

there's a reason why Obama is running for president and Keith Olbermann is a pundit.

[SwingVoter]

Keith Olbermann is more intelligent than I had given him credit for. Obama should be thankful Olbermann has a voice. Though it seem as if he was critical of the Senator from Illinois, but he did him major favor yesterday. Read the transcript.

[bison2]

Keith pointed out that during the press conference on 30 June 2008, McCain didn't answer the question put to him about Obama's patriotism. He gave a response, but he did not answer the question. Why was there not a follow up question from MSM?

[panchovilla]

(3 of 3)

We don't want another Republican administration. But we want to do much better than just forgetting and forgiving the crimes and offenses they have committed at the public expense. If we do that, we only invite their repetition. That's political moral hazard of the worst kind. No. No. We want to advance on a new political basis. I admit that our choices are limited at this point. We may have to stick to Obama in November, even if he continues to waver and pander to those responsible for the sorry state of the nation. But he should consider himself warned. We can take so much crap only for so long. But we won't take all the crap all the time. Consequences will follow.

[Note: Clearly, I dare to speak for others -- many, I believe -- who think like me.]

[TellitLikeItIs]

panchovilla: Re: (3 of 3) You are right---- we DO want to advance, not retreat! Obama's "family values" tour is proving to be a pandering mess, IMHO.

[foolchild0]

A nice return to form, Keith. Excellently put.

[panchovilla]

(2 of 3)

Naively perhaps, but I have so far interpreted Obama "post-partisanship" statements as indicative of his willingness to advance the public interest *even if* at the expense of special interests in his own (Democratic) party. However, if -- with further declarations and, more importantly, *actions* -- Obama portends to be above "partisanship" by appeasing, condoning, pardoning, or glossing over crimes and offenses committed by the Republicans in the last 8 years against the nation, then I will take that as a sign of the worst kind of partisanship, the partisanship that enables the abuse of the public interest for the sake of the private interests of the few. In other words, I'll take that as betrayal of the public.

[panchovilla]

(1 of 3)

I expect Obama to commit himself to the steadfast defense of the interests of the people of the United States -- first and foremost, the interest of the majority, that is, middle-class and working Americans -- through all legal, legitimate, and moral political means. I voted for Obama in the primaries, because he seemed like the candidate that was more likely to make this commitment and deliver on it. And even though, in November I am most likely to vote for him (I will definitely *not* vote for McCain), I will take any deviation from the above as a betrayal of trust and, then, will act accordingly to the best of my ability.

[huffnpuffn]

Keith wants so hard to believe. It's a little sad.

Obama has given me no reason to believe he will attempt to hold the Bush administration accountable for its lawlessness. Talk is cheap. This FISA bill was his chance to come out and say no one is above the law, his chance to say if you have been harmed by the actions of corporate America, you have a right to your day in court.

He blew it.

[mcole]

uhuh. so tell me, what do you know about the Patriot Act and its full ramifications?

[huffnpuffn]

Just what exactly are you getting at?

[bison2]

As the KO pointed out during the press conference on 30 June 2008, McCain didn't answer the question put to him about Obama's patriotism. He gave a response, but he did not answer the question. Why was there not a follow up question?