Obama Reneges Again

Obama has already abandoned some of his more sweeping campaign rhetoric. Last summer, to the horror of civil-liberties groups, he reversed himself and voted for amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that he once suggested would "undermine the very laws and freedom that we are fighting to defend." The amendments allowed Bush to continue—with more judicial oversight—his initially secret, widely decried warrantless-wiretapping program. It was a smart move by Obama, both as policy and as politics. FISA was obsolete well before 9/11; for one, its applicability depends on knowing in which country the surveillance "target" is located, and modern communication (cell phones, e-mail) often makes it difficult—or impossible—to know. The technology had changed, and so had the nature of terrorism, becoming more global and sophisticated. Bush should have worked with Congress from the beginning, and Obama was wise to back the compromise that finally passed.