Looks like the right is making a concerted

[Jim Lane]

14. Obama could appoint a Commission on Civil Liberties Restoration with Glenn Greenwald as chair

In his speech announcing this welcome development, Obama would explain that there'd been a gradual erosion of civil liberties, with each step representing no huge change from the one before it, but that he'd come to realize he'd erred in not recognizing the importance of the cumulative effect.

He would recall the views of Professor Obama when teaching constitutional law, and of Senator Obama when criticizing the national-security state being assembled under Bush. He would candidly admit his mistake in straying from that point of view. He would ask the public's forgiveness, and promise to make major changes going forward.

There should be some limited representation of right-wingers on the commission. Maybe give Boehner and McConnell one appointment each. Rand Paul? Why not? Heck, I think it'd be a hoot to invite Sean Hannity to serve. The man who defended NSA surveillance under Bush and then attacked it under Obama could, all by himself, present most of the pro and con arguments the commission would need to consider.

Then Obama would actually do a lot of what the commission recommended. He wouldn't just rubber-stamp it, but he'd do enough to show the concerned civil libertarians that he really was taking the issue seriously. Not everything could be done by executive order, but when the Republicans filibuster the Civil Liberties Restoration Act of 2014, be it on their heads.

The result? Not only would the right fail to pick off any of our voters, but we'd turn it around and pick off some of the Paulites when he's not the nominee (and he won't be the nominee). Furthermore, a lot of other voters, not paying too much attention to the minutiae of the Bill of Rights, would nevertheless admire Obama's willingness to admit a mistake, and his taking forthright action to correct it.

In addition to these political gains, of course, another result is that civil liberties in America would actually get restored, to a great extent.

If Obama doesn't do something like this -- and my guess is that he won't -- then he's giving the right wing a fertile field to pursue the strategy you outline.