An important piece by Charles Peters about Obama's work in the Illinois legislature, including working to compel both houses of the legislature into passing a law requiring videotaped confessions -- the kind of civil liberties protection that it's very difficult to get legislatures to initiate. As Hilzoy pointed out, this has often been true at the federal level as well. He's sponsored important and generally good legislation on important but low-profile issues, as opposed to doing stuff like sponsoring idiotic and unconstitutional flag-burning legislation. When you combine this record with a stunning ability to mobilize new voters, progressive backers of Clinton against Obama should have a very uphill struggle on their hands in trying to persuade progressives to back their candidate. --Scott Lemieux
