Is this FISA vote really about presidential politics?

More than anything else, it is a political strategy to get the Democratic nominee to show a weak hand toward terrorism? One more time, the Republicans would like to use fear and terrorism, or the lack of a "proper" response to this fear and terrorism, as a campaign issue? Are they simply trying to set up Obama? I wonder?? If he votes against FISA, they can say that he is not strong enough to defend this country - that he is naive to the dangers of the world? So, in a brilliant political move, they will put in the immunity clause for the telecoms which will either make it make it very difficult to vote for the FISA without looking weak or will make them vote for the telecom immunity, which is a big win either way for the Republican Party? Is that the political game being played here?

Every element of 'the global war on terror' is actually aimed at domestic political manipulation, and always has been....

We need to be thinking a few moves ahead, methinks?

His campaign and apparat has impressed me very favorably over the preceding months.

I am impressed with his political skills and instincts, as today when he said Ralph Nader was just trying to get some attention. Absolutely right on.

I may not like every aspect of it (I play chess with a bazooka) but I haven't seen anything like this in quite awhile. It bodes well for him, and us.

And to my mind what has to be done is to strip out the immunity provision, and frame the clash as what it is: Republicans valuing corporate profits over national security....

Strip the immunity provision from this important piece of legislation. If the Republicans veto it or block it, the ball is in their court.

But your idea is probably more sensible. ;)

Why the repubs must think it is Christmas...what a gift!

Hoyer and crew are framing it as an election issue but it's pure poison. It's a losing issue and Obama will get raked over the coals by the vultures if he falls for it. Hope he's not that clueless.

In case we've forgotten, Democrats control Congress now.

They would have been OK if they had not joined the two. I am not impressed with either of them.

My guess is that they were under pressure from the rank and file, particularly the blue dogs, to hold a vote.

If all the dems had voted against it would the presidential nominee be in the spotlight on it, or would it have died the death it deserves?

So what does that tell you? We have a bunch of Bush Democrats who are running the House and the Senate.

He has shown himself to be a canny and careful politician who has been neither easily moved, nor shaken by the RW hate machine. They know they are going down big time this year, and they are looking for any, and every possible way to keep their rotten hands on power for as long as possible, when all else fails, they fall back on the old stand-by, terra, terra terra.