The pundits and the Republicans want to use Obama's so-called "flip-flop" on FISA to claim that he's just a typical politician. While he previously claimed that he would support a filibuster of any revision to FISA that provided retroactive immunity for telecoms, Obama recently said that he would vote for FISA if it contained the immunity and came to a vote.
Now, for the sake of argument, I will grant the dubious claim that Obama has changed positions. Let's assume that he has. Let's assume that Obama has "moved toward the center" as folks at Daily Kos, Crooks and Liars, Talk Left, Talking Points Memo, and other have recently claimed. And let's assume that Obama has opened the door for a flip-flop.
What does that say about the current state of affairs?
In my opinion, this is not Barack Obama's failure. If this FISA thing comes to a vote, and the telecoms get retroactive immunity, it won't be a result of Barack Obama's failure. It will be our failure.
It's our failure, because Barack Obama is just one man, just one vote. He's a junior senator from Illinois. And in the Senate, he's at the lower end of the totem pole.
Barack Obama is a political leader in American democracy. He's not a dictator. He's not a revolutionary. He's not a superhero. Barack Obama is a man who's running for president, and currently, he's the junior senator from Illinois.
How does democracy work? It works when we join together, speak with one voice, and demand the changes we seek. Democracy works when we build consensus. Democracy works when we bring new people into the process.
Democracy doesn't work when we filibuster. A filibuster can stop democracy in its tracks, but a filibuster can't make democracy work. One voice in the Senate can stop the wheels from turning for a little while, but it takes 41 Senators to stop a bill. And it takes 51 Senators to pass a bill. And it takes 60 Senators to overcome a presidential veto.
So, before you accuse Barack Obama of failing you, ask yourself this simple question: What have you done today to reach out to others? Barack Obama is just one man. We are the ones we have been waiting for.
There are no superheroes in American government. There are statesmen, but no superheroes.
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