[OFB Cafe] PD: Something to Fan the Flames... OFB Endorses Candidates

[Timothy Butler]

> http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/ 
> roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00015
>
> McCain went on record today to say that he doesn't think the
> constitution is worth the paper it's printed on.   Clinton, the other
> republican running for president, had more important things to do than
> to weigh in on the debate.   Obama was the only major candidate to say
> that the fourth amendment means anything.
>
> Anyone who is aware of this fact, and still casts a vote for McCain or
> Clinton deserves the police state they'll get.

	Fred, perhaps you can enlighten me on this, because I've thought  
about it a lot. I oppose the PATRIOT Act and a lot of the other  
excesses of the Bush Administration (despite being a Republican --  
that's why I liked Ron Paul, though he had no chance). I've published  
a lengthy critique of the PATRIOT Act on my site, even. That said, I  
don't understand this bill. The government orders companies like AT&T  
to cooperate, and the companies do so. Companies that don't cooperate  
face the potential of serious government inference, right? So, the  
companies cooperate. Now, having cooperated in good faith, the Feds  
pull out their support of the companies and let them hang?

	As a consumer, I don't want my ISP spying on me -- make no mistake  
about it. But, if the government is the one that initiated the  
spying, I shouldn't be able to sue the ISP, I should have to take up  
my case against the government, it seems to me.

	Am I missing something? I'm genuinely curious, because, like I said,  
I agree with you in principle on the issue this arises from, I'm just  
not sure the proper place of the liability is in the private sector  
when the problem was one in the public sector. Wouldn't this set a  
dangerous precedent where companies are damned if they don't  
cooperate with the government, but also must fear being damned if  
they do and the government's policy becomes unpopular? It seems to  
me, if nothing else, the government should be obligated to pay  
whatever settlements the ISPs end up having to make.

	Incidentally, I'm not sure how Sen. Clinton is a Republican -- on  
all the major issues she seems to be almost indiscernible from the  
senator from the great state neighboring me, only he seems to know  
how to bring a frenzied, revivialist-like emotionalism upon his  
listeners and she does not.

	Then again none of the candidates are ideal. How about I just run  
for president and everyone on this list can vote for me? A non- 
Windows computer on every desk and a free coffee for everyone. How's  
that for a platform?

	-Tim


---
Timothy R. Butler | "He that has and a little tiny wit—
Editor, OFB.biz   | With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,—
tbutler at ofb.biz   | Must make content with his fortunes fit,
timothybutler.us  | For the rain it raineth every day."
                                   -- Feste the Fool (Shakespeare)