Obama and his Lack of Consistency on the Constitution

Thanks, Magda for the article. Since I am up in Portland, Maine and have had a trying two days I have not had much news. I have to say this news is disturbing. I am not defending in any way child rapists. Who would? But, this notion of killing other humans has been struck down as cruel and unusual for a while now and even by this draconian court yesterday.

Obama said Wednesday he disagrees with the Supreme Court's decision outlawing executions of people who rape children, a crime he said states have the right to consider for capital punishment. He said:

"I have said repeatedly that I think that the death penalty should be applied in very narrow circumstances for the most egregious of crimes," Obama said at a news conference. "I think that the rape of a small child, 6 or 8 years old, is a heinous crime and if a state makes a decision that under narrow, limited, well-defined circumstances the death penalty is at least potentially applicable, that that does not violate our Constitution."

The court's 5-4 decision Wednesday struck down a Louisiana law that allows capital punishment for people convicted of raping children under 12, saying it violates the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

Ok, I get what is happening here. Barack Obama is being targeted as the "liberal" Senator who wants to succeed Jimmy Carter's term. So, he feels the need to turn his back on the net roots on FISA and now this, show he is tough; why not do it when we are talking about the rape of young children. These are both fairly obvious concerns: the Constitution. Is Obama signaling that he as well as Conservatives will tout political motives over the Constitution. By the way, thank God for Senator Russ Feingold (the true progressive in the Senate) for stalling FISA, for now anyway.

Jane Hamscher of Fire Dog Lake has criticized Obama for not being progressive enough for a while as has the SG. And I like Obama a lot. But, a few more of these whiny, wimpy decisions to show he is tough (a la Bill Clinton) he and I may have a big problem. I want a progressive President, not one who tells me he is progressive and then makes fucking decisions based on the polls. Enough already.