Friends and Politics

I offended a friend today.  Someone I hold very dear as a friend.  We have differing views on the upcoming election and frankly he is bedazzled by Senator Obama. I have not committed but "at this point in time, knowing what I know today" I will not be voting for Obama.  I will also be very unlikely to vote for McCain.  I can't stay home, so who knows where my vote might end up. 
The quotes in the prior paragraph are from an old mentor who taught me to "never say never".  I may have information at the time I vote that I do not have today, I might have come to a different place in my life at that time. 

Frankly I would be delighted to have a different view than the one I hold.  I would have loved to see Senator Obama stand up for "Change" by keeping his word to fight the immunity of the telecom industry.   He has indicated he will vote with the majority to allow the immunity and he did not vote on the measure to allow debate, which was the only chance we had to change the bill.    We have just given the telecom companies the perfect right to read our email, listen to our conversations and put our asses in jail if they do not like what they hear.  The companies that agreed to provide this information to the government without a warrant are going to be given immunity for breaking that law. 

 "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be  violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause,  supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

 -- United States Constitution, Amendment IV"

Do ordinary citizens have time to keep track of all this.  Of course not.  Do you hear the in depth explanation on the news of course not.  You spend a week mourning Tim Russert who was paid $5 mil a year to lie to us.  Real journalists like Amy Goodman and Sy Hersh are not household names. 

Do you know that the Democratic National Committee has permanently moved it base to Chicago?  No of course you don't   It was not even a sound byte on the 6 o'clock news two weeks ago.  The Democratic party has moved out of Washington and you didn't get the memo.  Anyone who is my age remembers Daly Politics from the Southside of Chicago.  The memory is sinister at best.  The reasoning was it would make a central base for the Obama campaign.  What happens if he is not elected.  Since the move is permanent what happens then?  Anybody even mildly curious?

As tor the friendship it will endure.  It has been  strong enough to withstand disagreement.  But I have to tell you the bi-weekly dinners for the next few months are gonna be a little uncomfortable for both of us, and they should be.