Sam Stein at the Huffington Post writes:

Only weeks into the general election campaign and already a notable tension is beginning to materialize within the Democratic Party. At question is Sen. Barack Obama’s relationship with the progressive netroots, the online community that helped aid the Senator’s rise to the presidential nomination, but has since seemingly played second fiddle in terms of courted constituencies.

Obama’s decision to embrace a compromise on FISA legislation — a virtual slap in the face to some progressive bloggers demanding no legal immunity for telecommunications companies — was the catalyst of the recent chatter. Other concerns arose days prior when Obama cut an advertisement on behalf of a conservative southern Democrat whose primary challenger was favored by the liberal blogosphere.

But for some progressive activists, the issue is not simply one of policy, but a concern that Obama’s willingness to snub their political wishes is far more endemic.

“You can see it with FISA. He really doesn’t feel that much kinship with the priorities of the netroots and I don’t think he has made any secret of that,” said Jane Hamsher of Firedoglake. “I have to say he is very consistent. He has gone outside the netroots for his strategy… People who feel betrayed right now, I’m not sure why, because it is extremely consistent with what they should have expected.”

Read on…