I'd like to believe the assertion that FISA will be amended next year and that Obama will revert to his previously stated positions once elected... but if you're going to extend to him that generosity, don't you have to do the same for McCain? Maybe everything we have seen of McCain since 2000 has been his politically-expedient shifting of positions solely to convince the Republicans to let him be the nominee... I've tried to keep an open mind about McCain, but when I read about the FISA bill, I had decided that the Republicans had become too corrupt, and that I couldn't trust McCain to clean house and undo enough Bush administration wrongs. But now that Obama has supported this law, I may have to reconsider that decision.

I'm particularly disappointed that certain telecom companies (the ones that collaborated) will face no further charges, penalty, or scrutiny for what they did. I don't think that this is a minor thing, as the punishment of those collaborating with the government when it violates the Constitution would give future would-be-collaborators pause. And, notably, Obama has not vowed that he will never use signing statements (while McCain has).

I understand the argument you are making that some violations of civil liberties should be accepted as a compromise for an improved chance of long-term improvements. I don't believe a Democratic president guarantees such improvements. (Look at the Clinton administration.) I hope you are right about Obama.