My personal political ideals fall somewhat to the left of Dennis Kucinich and to the right of Karl Marx.  In contrast to many caricatures of my posts at TPM, my understanding of Obama's stance on FISA has zero to do with whether or not I agree with said legislation or with continued abuse of the Constitution. 

Of course, I think it is a travesty that we have been raping the Constitution since before the ink was dry on the Preamble. 

However, Barack has explained, more than once, that based on his classified briefings on national security, the amended FISA bill is a compromise he thinks is necessary to watch our back. He believes that it provides the tools needed to keep

I just came from I'm Bored. Thrill Me, Ya Bastids. and it seems the entire point of the blog (with an impressive comment count besides) was lost in the musical orgy of YouTube clips and non sequiters to follow.

This blog addresses each of his five points in turn and invite the rest of the TPM crew to do the same in the comments section.  I think Quinn poses interesting questions, and I am tired of writing the acronym FISA.

Let the games begin.  Huffington Post isn't exactly the corporate media, but it is the jumping off point for on-line quirks to go mainstream.  All you pissy progressives who would rather bite off your nose to spite your face, you can consider this a "victory" for your empty-headed cause and its Circular Firing Squad. 

Now the Obama campaign has to spend time and resources explaining their reasoning on a complex bill with tons of moving parts in the middle of a fucking dog fight with the neocon cabal that took this country over 40 years ago because the "netroots" got their panties in a bunch over a non-issue.  We also need to counter a whole new round of disinformation and propaganda across the media over a made-up dispute by misinformed citizens with a very narrow view of reality.  All of this over a non-issue for most Americans.

Brilliant tactics.

Before you start flaming, FISA at this moment in time is a non-issue.  It is a fucking side-bar at best to the war and economy and poverty and genocide and an imploding environment.  To do nothing or to have the original FISA go back into action wasn't a viable solution.  Using "tricks" to keep the legislation in committee would back-fire as well.  What part of General Election don't you understand?  What part of Every one's President don't you understand?

For every pissed off netroots weenie, Barack most likely impressed a dozen moderate republicans and independents who believe he just might be the guy to guide us through this transition.  Also, God forbid, if a terrorist event might happen between now and the election, standing in the way of tools that could have prevented it would look pretty naive now wouldn't it? 

A majority of Americans agree that we should use whatever means necessary to protect ourselves, even if it means snatching a couple of unrelated emails or phone calls.  The numbers don't lie.  Sixty percent of republicans, forty percent of democrats and half the independents things we need FISA legislation to keep us safe.  They don't care about protecting companies from civil lawsuits if the executives themselves can be held accountable for criminal activity once proven in a court.

We are in a transition year.  To gain a governing majority means we may have to compromise on things that make our assholes pucker.  It's not pretty, it's politics.  Once we take over, then we can begin to bring the center back to the left.  But, and this is important kids so pay attention, we haven't won the election yet.  We have no power to move the country to the left.  You keep acting like spoiled children every time Barack does something tactical and strategic for the long-term health of our very important national project and he will never get a chance to disappoint you later.

What is so hard to understand about all this?  Are we speaking a different language?  Do you live in the same country I do?  Do you have the same sorts of relatives I do?  Do you live in fantasy world where all the "principled progressive s" play patty-cake and agree on every point?  What exactly do you hope to accomplish by pissing off sixty percent of the republican party and half the independents in a year when we are trying to win a governing majority? Do you not understand that a most Americans don't agree with you?  What is your major malfunction, Private Pile?  Are we reaching? 

I don't think I am the only one who wants to know the answer to those questions judging by the discourse around here over the last few days. 

Sometimes TPM is a whole lot of fun.  Witty, urbane people making comments that I mostly agree with.  Sometimes it is like getting smashed in the face with a brick, by someone who looked like a friend.  Not as much fun.

I am really curious how some of you can justify your attitudes "debate" being called trolls or insincere or just stupid?

By purposely misunderstanding and pulling quotes out of context or reducing someone's argument to the absurd, you are dumbing down the discourse around here.  By not understanding nuance and context or by not even allowing someone to have a distenting opinion without being jumped on by a bunch of potty-mouth kids with uneducated views based on easy lives and an obvious lack of much-needed ass-kickings. 

It is the only explanation that makes sense, because many of you certainly don't speak as if you have ever had a hard day in your lvies.  You speak as if you have never had to compromise short-term gain for long-term goals.  You speak as if your understanding of reality if about a centimeter deep, even if it is miles wide.

So, please let me take this opportunity to get something off my chest.  All you trolls, fuck off smartly.  (I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but it is Navy speak for "with haste")  All the rest of you douchebags (we all know who you are and could make a nice long list of idiots that most would agree on) I am done trying to be polite with people that have no intention of being civil.  I am done trying to coddle you or reason with you or explain my point in a new and interesting way in the hopes that you just might get it this time.  It is quite obvious you are either unwilling or unable to have civil discourse.  So, you can fuck off as well.

Ah, that's better.