I’ve been reading Glenn Greenwald’s column at Salon pretty obsessively.  He’s thorough, smart, and generally tends to lay the legal issues he presents out in a way I can understand. I get that he has a point of view; this doesn’t bother me, I try to filter through the noise in any way I can. But his politics seem to mirror mine in many ways, so I pay attention so I can use his arguments to counter ones of conservatives. 

Which is why this post made me worry. The condensed version of that column is that Obama is starting to take positions that generally go along with the establishment or to agree with things that he gave the impression he was supposed to be against. Especially things that were promoted by the Bush administration or its adherents. 

Then there’s the sudden support for the FISA bill…which is baffling, and a reversal of a position he’d taken previously.

I’m not naive; I know that politicians have to make some compromises to get things done, that there are some large and powerful interests (usually corporate) in our country that have tremendous influence over policy. That said; what in the hell is going on? He’s not even in office and suddenly he’s taking up positions that the Beltway endorses? Do we need Clinton in this race to ensure that someone with a somewhat progressive ideology takes the presidency?

Shouldn’t there be some principles that Obama should take and stick with? If the biggest distinction between him and McCain becomes, he’s the black guy, then really why am I voting for either of those two men? 

I dunno. Maybe I’m just asking for too much when I say I want someone who wants to break from the policies and ideas of the past 8 years and try something different, because I see a fuckton of failure starting in 2000.  If Obama votes for that FISA bill, I’m not sure if I can vote for him. The issue is important to me, but more important is the willingness to stick with your principles.