FISA: Do This

Yesterday, someone in conversation reminded me that Jimmy Carter predicted that Americans in the future would have far less freedom than they had when he was president. It was eery, since I'd almost resigned myself to Obama's declaration of reluctant support for the new electronic spying bill.
It's a horror even without telecom immunity for past cooperation with Bush administration illegal surveillance.
Glenn Greenwald is fuming but I'd been on the fence. I didn't want to abandon my faith in Obama's promise. But I can't disagree with this.

No political leader merits uncritical devotion -- neither when they are running for office nor when they occupy it -- and there are few things more dangerous than announcing that you so deeply believe in the Core Goodness of a political leader, or that we face such extreme political crises that you trust and support whatever your Leader does, even when you don't understand it or think that it's wrong. That's precisely the warped authoritarian mindset that defined the Bush Movement and led to the insanity of the post-9/11 Era, and that uncritical reverence is no more attractive or healthy when it's shifted to a new Leader.

There's one particular promise he made that we should hold him to. Back when the bad Rockefeller bill was before the Senate, his spokesman Bill Burton promised Obama would support a filibuster of any bill that includes retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies.
Greenwald gives us Burton's email address and urges us to send him a message demanding that he abide by that promise.

bburton@barackobama.com

Yesterday, even after Obama's disheartening announcement about his position on the new FISA bill, I posted the link where you can donate to him. I was planning on doing that again.
Now, I've decided to send my money to the coalition that is raising money to oppose Democrats who are bad on this crucial constitutional issue. It includes the ACLU and Ron Paul "money bombers."
Greenwald explains what they're doing here.
You can donate here.
Oh, and I'm telling Burton what I'm doing and why.

UPDATE: I can't believe I spent hours reading all the comments on the Greenwald blog, but I learned a few things.

You can also go to my.barackobama.com and express dissatisfaction, although those who did said it was not satisfying.

And, you can call his campaign office, 866-675-2008, #6 during weekdays and talk to a real person.
Someone on the comments thread said s/he was assured that Obama can and will kill the immunity provision.
Next week, we'll see.