FISA: A Time To Sit In At Obama’s Campaign Offices?
Many activists involved with the struggle to preserve our 4th Amendment rights and oppose the latest revisions to FISA were deeply disappointed by the substance of Obama’s response, which contained a whole series of misleading arguments, as Glenn Greenwald documented here.
While some were ecstatic that Obama listened at all, others had a higher standard, and found the disingenuous arguments to be insulting to their intelligence, particularly given how fundamental the issues are, and how clearly Senator Obama had previously stated his intention to filibuster if telco immunity was part of the deal.
Although running to the right after the primary—and losing—is a time-honored tradition in the Democratic Party, many of Obama’s supporters were expecting something more from him. And when he spoke of reaching out and bringing people together, they did not envision the unifying cause to be the embracing of Bush/Cheney/Rove lawlessness.
Which brings up the question, what next? One possibility is to up the pressure by sitting in at campaign offices this coming Monday. If people are truly serious about there commitment to the rule of law, this is a logical next step. Unlike other lawbreaking, civil disobedience upholds the law by willingly embracing the consequences of its actions in order to challenge injustice.
This is a very high risk strategy, as it would easily disintegrate into a Democrats in disarray narrative. You could that the telcos or RNC are the logical target as they are the chief advocates of lawlessness.
Readers, what do you think?
Front page
Target McConnell's office
Once upon a time Congressional Republicans would stand up to an out of control Republican President. Where is the new Goldwater to march in to this new Nixon’s office and tell him he’s gone too far? The GOP has largely gotten off scott free in its culpability for the current mess.
Thanks DCBlogger For Noting This
Everyone, please follow the link and read what Paul Rosenberg has to say. It’s especially significant that it appears on “Open Space.”
I’m not sure that sitting in to the point of arrest need be the goal; I doubt that Obama campaign offices will resort to the police. The point is to call attention to what is happening. Anyone who has the time to organize a group to hunt down an Obama office should come ready to explain to his staff and especially to passerbys what’s at stake here. I’m absolutely convinced if more Americans understood what kind of new warrantless powers this legislation gives the President, they would be outraged. What makes communicating this fact is that legislation is always a complicated topic. I’m working on a pared down version of what’s at stake, the kind of thing you can put in three paragraphs, print and hand-out to people to read on their own.
Anyone who wants to take a whack at doing the same, it would be a fine post - the more the merrier.
Glenn has an excellent discussion of why Obama’s second statement, the one in response to his supporters letting him know they are not happy campers, is still inadequate and not entirely accurate, or should we say, truthful. You can find it here. It’s on his old site, so no worries about Salon pay walls.
Anyone serious about getting the DNC's attention
will be eager to physically follow up on the call to picket Obama campaign offices. No need to sit-in, unless you’ve already arranged for bail and childcare. Just make up some simple signs, walk up and down on the public sidewalk and be prepared to talk in a civil fashion to any passersby who will listen. Most important is to contact the local media and convince them to send reporters. Local TV and newspapers always like a hometown angle story, and an open revolt by Democrats against the presumptive nominee will be real news.
Stay on message, whatever that is; FISA makes the most sense, MI&FL makes very little but suit yourself.
Surely, everyone that has been eagerly trashing Obama here and elsewhere in the blogs will get out there and practice some real liberty and democracy, taking it to the streets.
Be sure to take photos and report back.