indepublica

When the Bush administration asterisked the bill of rights with claims of executive privilege and state secrets they woke many a citizen to the frailty of our system. The so-called city on a hill was ready to sacrifice its constitution for the safety offered up by an unchecked executive branch.

Yes our concept of checks and balances, co-equal branches of government, and the rule of law were nice ideas, but when faced with the hard reality of guys with box cutters it was those in the choir of American exceptionalism (ironically many of the same voices who use American ideals as justification for all sorts of expansionist policies) who were among the first to advocate sacrificing liberty for a little security.

Now it appears the Obama administration is ready to pick up where these self-styled pragmatists left off. If you haven’t been tracking these issues read on and weigh in:

Wiretapping, FISA, and privacy: Obama vs. Courts, Obama Channels Cheney

Extraordinary rendition: Obama preserves renditions as counter-terrorism tool.

Obama on Surveillance of Citizens: Obama Goes to Bat for Secrecy.

Telecom Immunity: Obama Administration Supports Telco Spy Immunity , Obama loses state secrets argument setting up possible judicial showdown