"My God. I can see Russia."

(REUTERS: Carlos Barria)

This needs to go viral.

Leadership by example: how not to do it.

"Vote your hopes, not your fears."

Yesterday's FISA vote was a perfect opportunity for Senator Obama to heed his own advice. Whether through his own initiative, or the whisperings of the Mark Penn wing of his clutch of advisers, he opted out.

For someone who's shown remarkable skill at political jujitsu, this was not a dodge. This was leaning into the left hook. It's been said before by others, but apparently not enough: You cannot preempt the GOP attack machine. If you're smart, which Obama clearly is, you can neutralize it.

But that left hook is gonna come, and you can either lean into it, or you can step aside and deliver a round kick to the glutes.

What Obama has done here, besides giving the attack machine the brass knuckles to pummel him with, is shown a remarkable failure of leadership. The immunity provision fix was in, sadly. Republicans, no matter what he does, are going to paint him as soft on terror. (Like Grant, they only know two tunes. One of 'em is "Dems are soft on terror", the other isn't.) He could have stood with Feingold, Dodd, Kerry, and the other brave souls who voted "no", and said "Vote your hopes, not your fears. Let me show you how."

But he didn't, and the damage is done.

The attacks are going to come, Senator, no matter how you vote. You might as well do the right thing. Hell, it might even pay off politically.

You want to be leader? You want us to vote our hopes? Start now. Show us how it's done.

Aussie bloggging.

"throw the frisbee throw the frisbee throw the frisbee throw the frisbee throw the...."

Just for Southern Beale.

Me and Future Mrs. Geor3ge.

[retreats back into obscurity...]

Offline

For the three of you who still check in to this e-rag, I'll be offline for a little bit while the Future Mrs. and I pack up our belongings and get ready to move yet again. (The third time since '04 now.) Once we're settled I'll be starting my new life as a church music director and piano teacher in north Jersey, a prospect I relish after having had both feet in the corporate world since moving to Indiana. Once we're settled I may or may not resume normal blogging activities, or I'll scrap this one entirely and move to WordPress. Depends how I feel.

So, a happy new year to you all, and I'll meet you on the other side of the moving van.

Heh.