On 9 June 2008 the United States Senate voted on HR6304; amending the foreign intelligence service act enacted in 1978. This current revision to this measure was best described by Ryan Singel of the WIRED blog world as granting “retroactive amnesty to the telecoms that aided the presidents five- year secret, warrantless wiretapping of Americans, and to expanding the government’s authority to sift through U.S. communications.”
The ramifications of this measure can be an more than likely will be damning for the personal liberties of American citizens in the electronic age. Barack Obama showed his ability to be a bipartisan politico by voting with the Executive branch bloc (looking to exercise those ever expanding Presidential powers in 2009 perhaps?) while his defeated rival for the hearts and minds of Americans hoping to escape the similar power hungry machinations of the last two terms, voted against. The Senator of hope and change voted against his fellow Senator from Ohio, Dick Durbin, and most importantly, against his “constituency” in the presidential race to come. Will it cost him? I doubt it the Gentleman from Chicago seems to be Gotti-esque when it comes to negative press.
We made him the presumptive nomine for the presidency, I hope he doesn’t make us rue that day as one of infamy.
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