Background on Obama’s lack of cred on civil liberties

Some talking points from the WaPost story about his appearance in libertarian-state Montana. (That’s more accurate, in some ways, than Red state, IMO.)

If anything, Obama may be heading the other way … on some of the intrusive homeland security measures popular with the "security moms" who populate the East and Midwest swing suburbs. ... He recently embraced a compromise bill on warrantless wiretapping that would effectively offer legal immunity to telecommunications companies that helped spy on customers. In 2006, after expressing misgivings, he voted for the Patriot Act's reauthorization, saying it was a marked improvement over the original bill of 2001. Obama voted for an emergency spending bill that included creating the Real ID, even though he said he opposed the identification card as an unfunded mandate. Support for the Real ID is in line with law-and-order voters.

Doesn’t that Patriot Act comment sound JUST like his FISA comment? And, of course, the Patriot Act reauthorization was no such thing.

Yes, it was an improvement over the original, but in no sense a marked improvement.

As for Real ID, you’ll note that Obama didn’t oppose the idea itself, just the cost.

In other words, we shouldn’t be surprised by Obama on FISA. He has a history.