Civil Liberties Watch

The thing I really like about Obama is that he is a Constitutional lawyer. He KNOWS how the Constitution is supposed to work, and apparently, he's wants to let that happen.

He reminds me of the best boss I ever had. We worked in defense contracting, and this guy knew contracting rules, inside and out. He was the program manager for my contract; I was the cost analyst. He always followed the rules, so you always knew what he would do next -- and you always knew how to do your own job, because it was based on those same rules. It was a pleasure to go to work everyday.

If Obama keeps this up, he's going to make many people happy that he is their President.

Glenn Greenwald >"...establishment and right-wing figures...are growing increasingly nervous about this flurry of unexpected activity."

YES !!!

The more nervous those folks become the more satisified I will become.

Go POTUS Go, more of this !

"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." - I Corinthians 13:11

…unless he can effectively blame Bush.

Wrong again, Brian. I think sentient beings understand that committed terrorists will be able to strike in any society, more so in one that is somewhat free. The issue is all about reasonable precautions taken with in the framework of our of civil libertarian values. The fact that President Obama will reach out to the Muslim world, and take actions that do not give cause to Muslims here at home to feel marginalized is a tremendous boost to our safety. Remember, in Europe home grown terrorists are the issue, homie.

"On the political side, if the U.S. is hit with a terrorist attack during the next four years and Obama is perceived as having lessened up on the war on terror, he is cooked for 2012, unless he can effectively blame Bush."

There's nothing about this that indicates the US will be less effective on the war on terror. On the contrary, in the long term this will only help our counter-terrorism efforts as potential terrorists on the fence will have less justification for turning toward extremism.

Scott,

If you don't think there is anything about Obama's actions that the U.S. will be less effective in the war on terror, then consider the following amateur hour at the press briefing today where Obama's press secretary is unable to answer questions about how the Gitmo closing will make America safer and, worse yet, where the Obama administration seems to realize for the first time that it is ridiculous to think that the extremely limited and unsophisticated interrogation techniques approved in the Army Field Manual can be the whole extent of the questioning of terrorists:

PART ONE ON GITMO:
QUESTION: Robert, how can you say the executive order on Guantanamo Bay -- you can say clearly made America safer today, when it doesn't seem like you really have a plan yet about where the detainees are going to go?

GIBBS: Well, one of the -- I think one of the things that the commission and one of the things that the executive orders does is begin the process whereby the current administration can examine what exactly is going on and who exactly is there. ...

That's why I was careful in saying that the process by which this will undertake over the course of up to one year will determine, as Greg laid out, who's involved in what status of detainee, which group that they're involved in, and ultimately study how best to -- to deal with them in a way that protects our country, protects our values, and administers justice.

QUESTION: So these are terror suspects, and the American people are hearing, "Washington's going to study it." They're going to find out for a few more months, what are we going to do with these detainees? So what...

GIBBS: Well, it is day two. ...

QUESTION: No, but he was talking about it on the campaign for months, on Guantanamo Bay.

QUESTION: But the bottom line is that you've been talking about it -- the president talked about it on the campaign trail. People have studied this for a long time. And you're now signing the executive order without a plan for where the detainees will be. What assurances can you give the...

GIBBS: No. No, we've signed an executive order to establish the plan for what happens.

QUESTION: But what assurance can you give the American people that these detainees just won't wind up out on the streets, won't go back to their home countries and launch new terror attacks?

GIBBS: I can assure them that that -- all of -- all of what you just enumerated will be undertaken and studied as part of a commission to look into these very complex, very detailed questions.

PART 2:

QUESTION: Just so the American people have an understanding, if, for example, U.S. forces were to capture Osama bin Laden or someone less well known, but of operational significance, are they to understand, the American people, that only the Field Manual and the Field Manual only will be the interrogation method used to interrogate a target as valuable potentially as Osama bin Laden or someone of that operational significance?

GIBBS: Well, as it relates to your first question, let me get some guidance from -- from Greg and members of the NSC.

By far the largest impact the Federal Govt has upon our civil liberties is its forcible expropriation of a large amount of our earnings.

Let us know when he does something about that one, OK?

Glenn Greenwald has not been happy for 1 day in the last 8 years. It's amazing.