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The NYT notices that pro-Obama bloggers are mad at Obama over his flip on telecommunications immunity.

James Risen writes:

During the Democratic primary campaign, Mr. Obama vowed to fight such legislation to update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA. But he has switched positions, and now supports a compromise hammered out between the White House and the Democratic Congressional leadership....

?I don?t think there has been another instance where, in meaningful numbers, his supporters have opposed him like this,? said Glenn Greenwald, a Salon.com writer who opposes Mr. Obama?s new position. ?For him to suddenly turn around and endorse this proposal is really a betrayal of what so many of his supporters believed he believed in.?

Jane Hamsher, a liberal blogger who also opposes immunity for the phone companies, said she had been flooded with messages from Obama supporters frustrated with his new stance.

?The opposition to Obama?s position among his supporters is very widespread,? said Ms. Hamsher, founder of the Web site firedoglake.com. ?His promise to filibuster earlier in the year, and the decision to switch on that is seen as a real character problem. I know people who are really very big Obama supporters are very disillusioned.?...

?I will continue to support him,? [said Markos Moulitsas, a liberal blogger and founder of the Daily Kos.] ?But I was going to write him a check, and I decided I would rather put that money with Democrats who will uphold the Constitution.?

You can't please everybody, and if you want to be President, you really can't please Greenwald, Hamsher, and Kos. Obama is taking the right position now, and he should defend it frankly.

Full post as published by Althouse on July 02, 2008 (boomark / email).