Monker wrote:conversationpc wrote: He's never really been against it. Once he figured out he could use that crap legislation to his advantage, he did what any greedy, self-serving politician would do.
That is a lie. Obama did not use the Patriot Act as a political tool in the way that Bush/Cheney did. I would be that hardly anybody in the country knows that he let it go. Compare that to W who tried to make anybody who was against it (and various other policies) unpatriotic, unAmerican, and should leave the country....as I said W used McCarthism very well. Obama hasn't done anything like that.
To be fair - tough in this thread - Bush had to sell it and faced a tough liberal crowd all the way through. Obama has simply kept it - and fought for some expansion - but the left has been pretty quiet about it. I'm not aware of anything he is doing less, just more. But it's like Iraq - Where are all the war protesters now? I know there is a vocal crowd against Afghanistan, but very quiet compared to Bush.
What makes me laugh - the people on the left and the right think the other side is so bad. But honestly, they are the same. List all the things you hated about Bush. All of them. And then compare that list to what Obama is doing. Then tell em how different they are. Fighting the courts on Don't Ask Don't Tell, prolonged time in Iraq, prolonged and then prolonged again and then prolonged again time in Afghanistan, more drone attacks, against gay marriage, fighting for more presidential powers, including Patriot Act pieces, fighting any release of documents claiming presidential powers, while we don;t have water-boarding, we still have secret prisons all over holding many people we don't speak of, still torture in Iraqi prisons (by Iraqis) - and don't even get me started on Guantanamo.
Like I said, right or wrong, the president has certain responsibilities beyond our comprehension. They will do what they need to do if only to prevent an attack on their watch.
So then it comes down to health care, stem cell, regulation, etc. That's where the real differences are.
I will say, Obama would not have gone into Iraq. I think that's pretty obvious.