July 27, 2004

obama speech

The first speech I've really heard that got me at all jazzed: Barack Obama's speech.
If there's an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties. It's that fundamental belief -- I am my brother's keeper, I am my sisters' keeper -- that makes this country work. It's what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family. "E pluribus unum." Out of many, one.
Posted by jessamyn at July 27, 2004 10:08 PM
Comments

That was an amazing speech. As I was watching I understood just why he was selected as the keynote. What a speech.

Posted by: fred at July 27, 2004 10:10 PM

Obama's speech ended 15 minutes ago and almost everything I've read about it started with, "f**kin'."

As in:

f'n awesome
f'n rock star
f'n amazing
f'n Clintonesque
f'n rocked the house
He's gonna be f'n President

A little early for the last, but I'm excited to see where this future Senator's careeer leads. Amazing speech, I can't wait to read more about it.

Posted by: Brad at July 27, 2004 10:22 PM

I was at the ref desk, and was furtively watching via streaming audio. Didn't get to catch much of it, but I'm right proud that he's gonna be my rep! He's the first politician in ages that I've felt truly good about voting for. F'n awesome! Thanks for posting the text, Jes. Hope to catch a rerun on CSPAN.

Posted by: rochelle at July 27, 2004 10:26 PM

He even mentioned libraries!

Jessamyn, I'm jealous! Hope you're having a blast.

Posted by: Eric at July 27, 2004 10:27 PM

Thanks for posting Obama's speech Jessamyn! I tuned in at the end of it. It will be interesting to see if the GOP here in Illinois is going to find ANYONE to run against him after that.

Posted by: Katie at July 27, 2004 10:42 PM

Terrific speech. It's already available on c-span.org.

Posted by: raincat100 at July 27, 2004 11:37 PM

I too like libraries, bloggin' and Barak. Thanks for doing a highly readable review of DNC life!
Kim
Relaxed Homeskool
http://bradley.chicago.il.us/kim/

Posted by: Kim at July 28, 2004 12:06 AM

Just amused. Watching the rerun of the Obama speech now. Future President?

Hoe you are well.

Posted by: Matthew Ward at July 28, 2004 01:50 AM

"If there's an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties."

Did he has any evidence of that claim? I don't know of any.

If he's addressing people detained or arrested because of The Patriot Act, then they are undergoing due process until the courts decide otherwise. So far, the courts have upheld that power in the Executive Branch.

Or is he against the way laws are created and passed by the Congress and signed by the President as the Constitution describes?

Fortunately, we are a society governed by the majority, not the minority or fringe minority.

He'll figure that out through one election or another somehow.

Don

Posted by: Donald Larson at July 29, 2004 03:39 PM

Of course Obama's web site has an RSS feed: http://www.obamablog.com/rss_full.xml

Posted by: Arek Dreyer at August 1, 2004 09:31 AM

Did he has any evidence of that claim? I don't know of any.

Well, yes, there is evidence of such things happening. See the Rasul case, which the Supreme Court ruled on last term. In that case, Rasul's counsel sued for habeus corpus, arguing, among other things, that he was being held without due process.

If he's addressing people detained or arrested because of The Patriot Act, then they are undergoing due process until the courts decide otherwise. So far, the courts have upheld that power in the Executive Branch.

I don't think that's true. The Supremes decided in Rasul that the Constitution forbids the executive from detaining American Citizens indefinitely without charging them with some crime. That limitation applies even when the country is in a state of war. To detain American citizens in such a way would be to deny them due process.

Secondly, w/r/t the PATRIOT ACT, I think you're conflating two issues within Obama's speech. On the one hand, he did make reference to USAPA when he talked about the government poking around in our libraries. But then on the other hand, his reference to denial of due process was a pretty clear reference to situations like the one found in Rasul.

Or is he against the way laws are created and passed by the Congress and signed by the President as the Constitution describes?

Not at all. I just think that he's supports the notion that the laws passed by Congress -- and the ways in which the Executive enforces them -- should be consistent with the letter and spirit of the Constitution. In my opinion, history has shown that the best way to do that is through a strong, independent judiciary that has the power of judicial review.

Posted by: Greg at August 1, 2004 10:52 PM

I hope to see the bloggers out there (at BOTH conventions) paying attention to the topics that get ignored by the newshandlers and arrangement specialists, out of a pathetic and trembling fear that something unscripted might happen.
-Orange Mike

good2know
-- Rev. Librarians Redux
-- library signs: PATRIOT
-- library signs: CIPA

DNC 7/26-29
26jul... blogger b'fast
27jul... bazaar
28jul... bash?
29jul... voter reg
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