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Yeah, he deserves some big hypocrisy points on that. But where are the Republicans on this issue? After what feels like about 300 years of them calling Obama

by jbooth 13y ago

Yeah, he deserves some big hypocrisy points on that. But where are the Republicans on this issue? After what feels like about 300 years of them calling Obama a fascist who's trying to turn America into the USSR every day, what do we hear from them when soviet-type stuff actually happens on his watch? Nothing. They're too busy with Benghazi and other non-scandals.

anigbrowl 13y ago
Who do you think put the Patriot act into place to begin with? At the time the GOP not only held the White House, but both houses of Congress. Among the first things they did on obtaining legislative control in late 1994 was start work on rewriting immigration law - resulting legislation so draconian that experienced criminal lawyers are often floored by its provisions when they have occasion to study it. For example, an alien with a criminal record who is unable to prove their right to be present in the US on the spot can be detained incommunicado for six months before being entitled to any kind of hearing. This is a step forward; until a few months ago, the government was able to detain said alien indefinitely: http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=972155883341975337&hl=en&as_sdt=2&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=9721558833419753... Bear in mind that the President is sworn to uphold the laws as they are, even when he disagrees with them; his powers are far more circumscribed by Congress than most people appreciate, viz. Obama's oft-repeated desire to close Guantanamo, which has gone nowhere because Congress won't authorize funds for setting up detention facilities on the mainland. It's not so much the case that Obama wants to know who you were calling last Tuesday as that he's supposed to maximize the government's legislated powers to defend the US from attack. If he ordered the NSA to suspend this sort of intelligence-gathering and subsequently a terrorist attack took place that could supposedly have been prevented, he'd be impeached. The whole Benghazi thing is arguably an effort to build momentum for impeachment, IMHO - if the GOP gained supermajority control of the Senate the current House would draft articles of impeachment in a heartbeat.

by jbooth 13y ago

anigbrowl 13y ago

Who do you think put the Patriot act into place to begin with? At the time the GOP not only held the White House, but both houses of Congress. Among the first things they did on obtaining legislative control in late 1994 was start work on rewriting immigration law - resulting legislation so draconian that experienced criminal lawyers are often floored by its provisions when they have occasion to study it. For example, an alien with a criminal record who is unable to prove their right to be present in the US on the spot can be detained incommunicado for six months before being entitled to any kind of hearing. This is a step forward; until a few months ago, the government was able to detain said alien indefinitely: http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=972155883341975337&hl=en&as_sdt=2&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=9721558833419753... Bear in mind that the President is sworn to uphold the laws as they are, even when he disagrees with them; his powers are far more circumscribed by Congress than most people appreciate, viz. Obama's oft-repeated desire to close Guantanamo, which has gone nowhere because Congress won't authorize funds for setting up detention facilities on the mainland. It's not so much the case that Obama wants to know who you were calling last Tuesday as that he's supposed to maximize the government's legislated powers to defend the US from attack. If he ordered the NSA to suspend this sort of intelligence-gathering and subsequently a terrorist attack took place that could supposedly have been prevented, he'd be impeached. The whole Benghazi thing is arguably an effort to build momentum for impeachment, IMHO - if the GOP gained supermajority control of the Senate the current House would draft articles of impeachment in a heartbeat.