COLUMN: Obama should not support wiretapping
Items from my political notebook as we struggle to reach spring: A big thumbs down to President Obama for his decision to support legislation granting legal immunity to telecommunications companies that cooperated with the Bush administration’s program of wiretapping without warrants.
Anyone who values personal freedom has long criticized these actions which began under our former president. Now our current leader is giving those involved a pass. This decision by Obama is causing intense backlash among some of his most ardent supporters.
Published reports indicate thousands are now using the same grass-roots organizing tools previously mastered by the Obama campaign to organize a protest against his decision.
Reports also correctly pointed out that during the Democratic primary campaign, Obama vowed to fight such legislation to update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA. But he has switched positions and now supports a compromise hammered out between the White House and the Democratic congressional leadership.
Any president, regardless of party, should support civil liberties, not promote ways to take them away.
•••
It’s only 2009, but for some the 2012 presidential election is not that far away.
In the CPAC conference held over the weekend, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney emerged as the winner with 20 percent followed by Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal with 14 percent. Texas congressman Ron Paul was close behind with 13 percent along with Alaska governor Sarah Palin.
Georgia’s own Newt Gingrich polled 10 percent while former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee stood at 7 percent. Governors Mark Sanford of South Carolina, Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Charlie Crist of Florida were also on the ballot.
•••
A recent news story indicated how challengers seem scared — at this point anyway — to face Republican senator Johnny Isakson, who has already announced his re-election plans for next year.
The story made me think of the late Jim Boyd, a one-time Winder resident, who would have been perfect for this race. Boyd, a Democrat, wasn’t afraid of any challenge when it came to statewide campaigns.
During his long history of running for office, Boyd challenged everyone from Sam Nunn in the Democratic primary for U.S. senate to Zell Miller when he was the incumbent governor. His 1994 campaign slogan of “Jim Boyd as Governor could not be worse than Zell Miller” is still a classic.
In Boyd’s last statewide race in 2004, he finished third in a crowded field of nine candidates for the U.S. Senate, which Isakson eventually won in the general election.
This 2010 showdown would have been the type of challenge Boyd, whose love of campaigns was unmatched, would have truly relished.
Chris Bridges is editor of the Barrow Journal. E-mail comments about this column to cbridges@barrowjournal.com.
Published reports indicate thousands are now using the same grass-roots organizing tools previously mastered by the Obama campaign to organize a protest against his decision.
Reports also correctly pointed out that during the Democratic primary campaign, Obama vowed to fight such legislation to update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA. But he has switched positions and now supports a compromise hammered out between the White House and the Democratic congressional leadership.
Any president, regardless of party, should support civil liberties, not promote ways to take them away.
•••
It’s only 2009, but for some the 2012 presidential election is not that far away.
In the CPAC conference held over the weekend, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney emerged as the winner with 20 percent followed by Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal with 14 percent. Texas congressman Ron Paul was close behind with 13 percent along with Alaska governor Sarah Palin.
Georgia’s own Newt Gingrich polled 10 percent while former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee stood at 7 percent. Governors Mark Sanford of South Carolina, Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Charlie Crist of Florida were also on the ballot.
•••
A recent news story indicated how challengers seem scared — at this point anyway — to face Republican senator Johnny Isakson, who has already announced his re-election plans for next year.
The story made me think of the late Jim Boyd, a one-time Winder resident, who would have been perfect for this race. Boyd, a Democrat, wasn’t afraid of any challenge when it came to statewide campaigns.
During his long history of running for office, Boyd challenged everyone from Sam Nunn in the Democratic primary for U.S. senate to Zell Miller when he was the incumbent governor. His 1994 campaign slogan of “Jim Boyd as Governor could not be worse than Zell Miller” is still a classic.
In Boyd’s last statewide race in 2004, he finished third in a crowded field of nine candidates for the U.S. Senate, which Isakson eventually won in the general election.
This 2010 showdown would have been the type of challenge Boyd, whose love of campaigns was unmatched, would have truly relished.
Chris Bridges is editor of the Barrow Journal. E-mail comments about this column to cbridges@barrowjournal.com.
As far as "Safe American's" opinion, I will keep my civil liberties. The fact that you are so willing to give yours up is very scary and is a greater threat to this country than anything a so-called "terrorist" could ever do.
Chris Bridges
Editor
And Mr. Bridges the only concern that any one in Barrow County should have in this is if they are calling overseas and talking to terrorist about terrorist activities or other illegal activity.
And if we wiretap phonecalls our civil liberties are gone and the terrorist win. Which terrorist, the so-called-terrorist. I can accpet that Mr. Bridges and his far left radical thinking is saying this hoo haa but not any rational thinking person.
Remeber folks that the only way to be fair is to play by the rules, if the bad guys don't play by the rules, how can you expect us to play by a set of rules in another game and still win this one.
http://shock.military.com/Shock/videos.do?displayContent=185279#&ESRC=retirees.nl