On reason that I, and many of you, supported Barack Obama's candidacy and election was because we viewed him as a clean break from President Bush on many issues, including secret government spying programs, warrantless wiretaps and legislation that weakens civil liberty safeguards.
During a campaign rally at Dartmouth in January 2008, candidate Obama pledged to end the Bush-Cheney era of "wiretaps without warrants."
When Bush was President, we opposed Congress' capitulation on the FISA bill that retroactively sanctioned wiretapping programs that were illegal when the acts were committed and shielding Telcos from litigation (which, regrettably, Senator Obama voted affirmatively.)
Now that Obama is President, these programs and activities are JUST AS unpalatable as when President Cheney Bush was sanctioning them, and we should oppose them. That's why I am so disappointed that President Obama's is taking the same position as President Bush and the Justice Department is asking to dismiss wiretap lawsuits (Jewel vs NSA.)
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