WE THE PEOPLE

This has been an unsettling time for many of the most “progressive” followers of Senator Obama. They have listened to the right condemn him for his refusal to join in public campaign finance, they have been horrified by his support of the FISA bill, he ruffled the feathers of the Congressional Black Caucus and reportedly told a former Clinton supporter that other Clinton supporter’s need to “get over it”. Now they wonder if he’s “really who they thought he was” or “he’s just a typical politician”.

If you had envisioned him as some sort of left-wing Messiah come to drive Cheny, Rove & Co. into the seven rings of Dante’s hell at the point of a fiery sword….you’re probably not nearly as disappointed now as you are going to be. If you have always seen him as a practical politician with a realistic vision of where our country needs to go and how we can realistically get there…you may be gaining some real HOPE!

Senator Obama shows a real understanding that he is running for an office that represents more than any single branch of the Democratic Party. A mayor represents his city, the Congressman his district, the Senator his state…but the President represents our country in all its multi-cultural beauty. The variety of interests inherent in the U.S. means that compromise is essential to our survival as a nation.

His change of view on the FISA bill is a great example. Which is more important? Punishing the companies who followed the government’s request after the attacks of 9/11 or ensuring that the Presidency CANNOT wiretap without over-site in the future? Which is more important? Do we want the ability to continue to protect our country from attacks in the future or is our desire to financially punish the corporate entities who failed our trust more important? (Keep in mind that if you have a 401K, you probably have stock in those same companies & it’s your retirement that is going to be hurt by a multi-billion dollar class action suit.) We should also remember that the same bill every progressive is upset about DOES NOT grant criminal liability. (Which means that the corporate executives, who decided on their own to violate our rights are still CRIMINALLY LIABLE)

Where do we turn for guidance to what is really important? Perhaps we should look to the Preamble to the Constitution…Fifty two words that sum up the whole of our political system. It is the introduction to and an outline of one of the most remarkable political documents the world has ever seen. And yet its importance is often overlooked. But not, I think; by the Junior Senator from Illinois, a former Constitutional Law Professor.

“WE THE PEOPLE (Not We the liberals or we the conservatives or we the African-Americans or we the evangelicals or we the upper-middle class. But we the people, who are greater as a sum of the whole than as our individual parts) OF THE UNITED STATES, IN ORDER TO FORM A MORE PERFECT UNION (Maybe not perfect, but at least a little better than it was before we got it), ESTABLISH JUSTICE (Not necessarily fairness), INSURE DOMESTIC TRANQUILITY (bottom line, security of our country is the primary goal), PROVIDE FOR THE COMMON DEFENSE (Not just the rich or the well connected), PROMOTE THE GENERAL WELFARE (It is more important to look after the welfare of the group than of any single segment of the group), AND SECURE THE BLESSINGS OF LIBERTY TO OURSELVES AND OUR POSTERITY(We must look not just to what is good for us today but is good for our children tomorrow), DO ORDAIN AND ESTABLISH THIS CONSTITUTION FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.”

It has been said that “Politics is the art of the POSSIBLE”. Or as Senator Obama has said, “I know you want to go to the moon, but we only have enough gas to go “this” far”. You will never agree completely with a candidate and if you do….he or she is probably not going to be the best candidate for the country as a whole. We as a people need to remember the importance of compromise. Those who refuse to compromise hold a higher moral ground but seldom political office.

One out of four female Clinton supporters insist that they will vote for John McCain. Why? Even if you agree that she should be the nominee and the prize was stolen by the media and gender bias….will you (and our country) be better off in four years under a McCain presidency? How will you explain to your granddaughters that you voted for the man who appointed Supreme Court Judges who will roll back every advancement women have made in the last 50 years?

Remember, in 2000 three percent of Democrats voted for Nader BECAUSE AL GORE WASN’T GREEN ENOUGH!!!! Duuuh!

With all due respect to your beliefs, feelings and political goals….now is the time to “get over it” because the stakes are even higher than they were in 2000.

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