The leak was an attempt to bolster the libertarian brand.

[napoleon_in_rags]

157. You're smart, freshwest.

If the Republican strategy is to make Obama look like Drone-lord surveillance king, its the most effective strategy they've deployed to date. We his base are against militarism, we are pro-peace, we are kind and gentle people, who innately stand against this stuff. If he lunges deeply into new foreign conflicts like in Syria, while a Republican voice chastises him from a perspective of commerce and peace, the Republicans - for the first time in a long time - have an argument for moral high ground.

But not too long ago, Obama stood up saying global warming is a major issue of our time. Republicans, ignoring the IPCC 2007 report (increased storms, extreme weather events) said he was a fool. Whatever charm they had was lost, as we watched the floods in India, the tornadoes and all the rest. The libertarian wing of the Republican party is blind to this - they refuse to play a personal moral role in mitigation and preparation, so in this Obama remains strong.