Items from my political notebook as we struggle to reach spring:
Obama should not support wiretapping
A big thumbs down to President Obama for his decision to support legislation granting legal immunity to telecommunications companies that cooperated with the Bush administration’s program of wiretapping without warrants.
Anyone who values personal freedom has long criticized these actions which began under our former president. Now our current leader is giving those involved a pass. This decision by Obama is causing intense backlash among some of his most ardent supporters.
Published reports indicate thousands are now using the same grass-roots organizing tools previously mastered by the Obama campaign to organize a protest against his decision.
Reports also correctly pointed out during the Democratic primary campaign, Obama vowed to fight such legislation to update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA. But he has switched positions and now supports a compromise hammered out between the White House and the Democratic congressional leadership.
Any president, regardless of party, should support civil liberties, not promote ways to take them away.
•••
It’s only 2009, but for some the 2012 presidential election is not that far away.
In the CPAC conference held over the weekend, former Mass. governor Mitt Romney emerged as the winner with 20 percent followed by Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal with 14 percent. Texas congressman Ron Paul was close behind with 13 percent along with Alaska governor Sarah Palin.
Georgia’s own Newt Gingrich polled 10 percent while former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee stood at 7 percent. Governors Mark Sanford of South Carolina, Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Charlie Crist of Florida were also on the ballot.
•••
A recent news story indicated how challengers seem scared — at this point anyway — to face Republican senator Johnny Isakson, who has already announced his re-election plans for next year.
The story made me think of the late Jim Boyd, who would have been perfect for this race. Boyd, a Democrat, wasn’t afraid of any challenge when it came to statewide campaigns.
During his long history of running for office, Boyd challenged everyone from Sam Nunn in the Democratic primary for U.S. senate to Zell Miller when he was the incumbent governor. His 1994 campaign slogan of “Jim Boyd as Governor could not worse than Zell Miller” is still a classic.
In Boyd’s last statewide race in 2004, he finished third in a crowded field of nine candidates for the U.S. Senate, which Isakson eventually won in the general election.
This 2010 showdown would have been the type of challenge Boyd, whose love of campaigns was unmatched, would have truly relished.
Chris Bridges is an editor for Mainstreet Newspapers. E-mail comments about this column to chris@mainstreetnews.com.
Anyone who values personal freedom has long criticized these actions which began under our former president. Now our current leader is giving those involved a pass. This decision by Obama is causing intense backlash among some of his most ardent supporters.
Published reports indicate thousands are now using the same grass-roots organizing tools previously mastered by the Obama campaign to organize a protest against his decision.
Reports also correctly pointed out during the Democratic primary campaign, Obama vowed to fight such legislation to update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA. But he has switched positions and now supports a compromise hammered out between the White House and the Democratic congressional leadership.
Any president, regardless of party, should support civil liberties, not promote ways to take them away.
•••
It’s only 2009, but for some the 2012 presidential election is not that far away.
In the CPAC conference held over the weekend, former Mass. governor Mitt Romney emerged as the winner with 20 percent followed by Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal with 14 percent. Texas congressman Ron Paul was close behind with 13 percent along with Alaska governor Sarah Palin.
Georgia’s own Newt Gingrich polled 10 percent while former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee stood at 7 percent. Governors Mark Sanford of South Carolina, Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Charlie Crist of Florida were also on the ballot.
•••
A recent news story indicated how challengers seem scared — at this point anyway — to face Republican senator Johnny Isakson, who has already announced his re-election plans for next year.
The story made me think of the late Jim Boyd, who would have been perfect for this race. Boyd, a Democrat, wasn’t afraid of any challenge when it came to statewide campaigns.
During his long history of running for office, Boyd challenged everyone from Sam Nunn in the Democratic primary for U.S. senate to Zell Miller when he was the incumbent governor. His 1994 campaign slogan of “Jim Boyd as Governor could not worse than Zell Miller” is still a classic.
In Boyd’s last statewide race in 2004, he finished third in a crowded field of nine candidates for the U.S. Senate, which Isakson eventually won in the general election.
This 2010 showdown would have been the type of challenge Boyd, whose love of campaigns was unmatched, would have truly relished.
Chris Bridges is an editor for Mainstreet Newspapers. E-mail comments about this column to chris@mainstreetnews.com.
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