This is why I am angry at Obama

[ThomWV]

I applaud his efforts at restoring the economy. However I think in time it would have restored itself as all economies have over the centuries.

What angers me is his lack of attention to the lasting things - the Constitution and our adherence to the rule of law. These are the enduring things which make us the nation we are and unless they are protected we are no nation at all. While the economy should draw much of his attention, it can not be his undivided attention.

Two matters demand equal attention; warrantless wiretapping and the torture of prisoners held by our Government. In the case of the former the President angers me by his continued application of Bush era legal argument to defend the continued use of this seemingly illegally power the Presidency has granted itself. As for the latter as a matter of international law the President must act, but he has been mute. In either case the burden of action will fall most heavily on President Obama's Attorney General. Indeed all that is required of the President is an order to his Attorney General to proceed. This is not too much to ask of his time. He has not done it and that angers me.

Far to many people have said that his time in office has been too short to accomplish everything. That is true. But in a nation suffering from nearly a decade of lawlessness an immediate return to the rule of law, and a public showing of the same, has to be of the highest priority. And so I reject the time-in-office argument.

[jody]

1. Cheer up, things might get worse. n/t

[ThomWV]

2. Probably will, and I'm sure the President will do a fine job of addressing what comes

I am sure he will do a fine job with everything that comes his way, but that doesn't mean he can't address the recent past too.

[bvar22]

23. If you're a Wall Street Banker or Health Insurance Executive,

then trust Obama to take care of you and your fortune.

If you build cars for a living.....well, its your own damn fault.
You should have become a Wall Street Banker instead of building cars.

[G_j]

3. starts to feel like the economic crisis

is being used as a smokescreen to avoid holding the Bush gang accountable.

& how much more evidence will disappear in the mean time?

[historian]

4. from what ive read

he has reversed a lot of the assaults on the constitution which bush tried to demolish. I dont have any details, but im sure youll find info on the net - i remember reading about this somewhere
What does piss me off though is the money being "given" to those assholes who began this whole thing. Im struggling to pay for my children's education while those fat cat shitheads are off spending money on yachts and hookers. That sticks in my craw and if he doesnt do something about that then he and the dems have lost my vote - ill vote for anything except dems or repukes.

[ProSense]

5. Who knows, maybe this is the

start of something:

Obama releases a quarter of a million pages of White House records

[robinlynne]

7. Reagan era documents.

[tabasco]

6. Economies have not "restored themselves over the centuries."

Shitty economies have often resulted in complete collapse or upheaval as we saw with Germany after WWI.

[ThomWV]

9. My point there is that life goes on, good times come, bad times come, up and down

Like the tides. Go make your argument for the economy if you like, that is not what this post is about.

[G_j]

13. we have already experienced a complete collapse...

of the truth

[apr09]

22. Correct. Republicans often argue that economies fix themselves

Even though their hidden motive is to block government programs designed mainly for the middle class and poor that do stimulate the economy.

We needed FDR, and we got FDR. And the economy improved.

[pleah]

8. K&R As far as I am concerned it should have been the very first

thing that was done when he took office. Arrest and prosecutions of war criminals.

I'm still waiting.

[historian]

21. well said

I agree with you one hundred percent. She should have hauled all their disgusting asses to court or at least named a special prosecutor. Instead we have Pelosi saying impeachment was off the table and Obama saying we should look into it. A pox on both their houses.

[gizmo1979]

10. Get in line

everyone seems to be mad at Obama.

[ima_sinnic]

11. my sentiments also, along with not restoring habeas corpus as he "promised"

People have been held in prison for 7 years without even being charged with anything. They were tortured, so how can they get a "fair trial"? Any "evidence" against them is inadmissible; therefore, they need to be released. But apparently it makes him feel like a big king or something to thumb his nose at the Constitution and NOT restore the rule of law. He got a big kick out of suckering us into thinking he would do so. The violations of human rights by his DOJ are sickening.

Prosecution of bush and cronies for war crimes, including torture, should be a PRIORITY--but he's "looking forward," trying to distract us with the bailout scam.

[MasonJar]

41. Actually it should not make Obama feel like a king because kings/queens

have pretty much followed the rule of law since the Magna Carta of 1215. The rule of law is going to have to be reintroduced into our government; the Dems and the GOpers seem to have forgotten all about it.

[EstimatedProphet]

12. Sure the economy would recover

It just might take a decade, like it did in the 20's-30's thanks to Hoover sitting on his ass. Or it might start to recover in a year. That's what the difference is.

[ThomWV]

15. Yes, you're right - and the economy deserves much of his attention, but not all of it.

And it is a matter of the nation's moment while my concern is the longer term health of the Democracy. It is my actual opinion that the economy should take second seat to the Constitutional matters - but I will cede the order in which he sets his priorities doesn't have to be mine, only that the Constitutional matters be address with the ferocity they deserve by his minions and concurrently. After all, a broke nation is still a nation, but a nation of unenforced law is no nation at all.

[Number23]

20. Few people would agree with you on that

It is my actual opinion that the economy should take second seat to the Constitutional matters

Hungry people, jobless people and the homeless have not and never will care about laws as much as they care about survival.

After all, a broke nation is still a nation, but a nation of unenforced law is no nation at all.

Does it strike you as a coincidence that many of the poorest nations are also the most lawless?

[Fire1]

25. TRUE THAT!!!!

[AndyA]

14. I think Obama will see that he is losing support if he continues down this same path.

He cannot ignore Bush illegal acts and retain support. Too many have suffered, and they will not forget.

I still hope there are plans to restore the Constitution. I think if other countries begin criminal proceedings against the Bush Administration, which some are considering, it will force Obama to do something. (This might be what he's waiting for.) :shrug:

[emilyg]

16. Thank you. Excellent.

[Mike 03]

17. Your posts are always very eloquent and worth reading.

I think you are being too hard on Obama right now. He's trying to prevent the global implosion of credit, and I think some of this other stuff can wait. As you know, this is not a Walt Disney movie, but real life catastrophe.

But I love your posts.

[NoSheep]

30. I am so glad to hear someone say this is not a fairy tale; not something

that Obama can just click his heels about and wish away. It seems many don't have a clue that he didn't inherit a situation that could be turned on a dime. I also feel there is no reason to prosecute the past administration until the case is iron clad and I have no doubt it is being worked on.

[Mike 03]

18. K and R..NT

[Number23]

19. ?

However I think in time it would have restored itself as all economies have over the centuries.

Bad policies were one of the major factors in creating this terrible economy in the first place. Why do you think that the economy would just be able to "correct" itself automatically with no intervention and the bad policies still in place?

[leftchick]

24. fuck 'the nation;'

I want insulin for my child without going broke and losing my house.

[Generator]

28. Ultimately you are right and most Americans agree

with you. Health care, having a job, and being able to stay in a home are what really affect our lives.

Honestly, most of don't have family in Iraq, we don't know anyone ever having been tortured, and we aren't even ever likely to have to worry about our privacy being used against us and being spied upon.

And as far as domestic matters-I don't even know if what Obama is doing is good or not. I think he is a 1000 times better than a Repug would be.

BUT-if anyone should know what he's doing is a bed precedent for possibly hundreds of future generations it should be Mr. Constitutional law Obama.

After Obama is out of office and "state secrets" and the power of the presidency are exactly the same as the were under Bush, whose to say someone worse than Bush won't be president in the future.

So if our great grandchildren have no civil liberties, and continue to have others tortured for them in their name, oh well. We had to live now.

I just feel even though we have this incredibly smart, talented supposedly liberal president that has broken the racial barrier in America (no small thing!) the nightmare hasn't ended. And America doesn't WANT to know that it had no civil liberties while Bush was in office and was one terrorist attack-and still is-away from no civil liberties in reality. I find that unacceptable. I can't get over it. I am not going to get over it. The last eight years have not ended. Until someone tells the truth and stops it from happening next time-we are always one damn election from this country being truly fascist. I can't forget that.

[Senator]

26. K&R

[cagesoulman]

27. Give the guy a break. He's been in office only a little over 2 months!

And he knows that most people are worried about their futures. He needs to fix the economy first.

[TheKentuckian]

29. All the cronies can move along if their failed ideology is convicted

and executed. Nothing would do the world more good than switching gears from multiple time failed scam operating under the misnomer/bastardization of the also dicey capitalism.

[opihimoimoi]

31. Obama is on the Bridge.....he is the CEO of the Nation for the next 3.7 years

Support the dude....I am....

Its time to let go of impatience and concentrate on helping the situation....

Thanx

[Two Americas]

33. no he isn't

We are not military personnel required to be obedient to anyone "on the bridge," nor are our elected official CEOs of a corporation.

You are asking us to think of ourselves as subjects under a strong ruler, rather than free citizens in a representative democracy.


...

[opihimoimoi]

36. Where were you during the Bush Wars?

[barbtries]

32. well put

i'm developing a love/hate relationship with my president. it's kind of tearing me up actually.

[Kip Humphrey]

34. Without galvanizing our nation around a call to justice and account, the Glen Beck rabble babble has

free reign to make up fantasies that are no more than projections of the last eight years. Obama is seemingly blind to this reality. His insistence on a forward looking vision that ignores what came before is blinding him and subjecting this nation to a very dangerous set of consequences that imperil himself, his agenda for America, and the very future of this republic. When the rule of law breaks down within government, it WILL break down outside of government. Obama had better allow this nation to face the facts of the Bush years and demonstrate a resolve to reassert our constitution and rule of law else, as a nation, we will face our darkest years. He does not have much time.

[varkam]

35. I agree with you. He doesn't need a running start to reject the unitary executive theory...

or to grant habeas review to detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan, or to quit pushing the state secrets doctrine, or to stop using signing statements to "strike down" parts of laws.

I sincerely hope all that changes, but I guess maybe it was a little naive to expect someone to come into an office that has seen it's power drastically expanded and then give it all up.

[ecstatic]

37. I believe all of our concerns will be addressed

President Obama and his team believe in acting in a strategic fashion, not erratically in a way that could lead to all of our progress being undone.

[RiverStone]

39. Agreed, and I'm not so quick to criticize Prez Obama

Sheez, after dealing with an arrogant war mongering prick for 8 years - we already have many legislative upgrades or total reversals to celebrate.

Last time I started a new job, I appreciated that folks respected the learning curve. IMO, I'd give him at least a B/B+ so far.

[Bette Noir]

42. Mr. President is a smart guy.

I presume that he's waiting for the right moment to put the Bush prosecution in motion. He's a master of three-dimensional chess, and he's thinking several moves ahead.

Maybe he can move, once he has his White House counsel approved. She was an adamant opposer of torture, remember.

In the meantime, we can help by keeping gentle pressure on him-- letters that voice support, and encourage action, rather than condemning him as just another would-be tyrant.

[lostnotforgotten]

38. Thank You Thom - I Agree

eom

[swilton]

40. The thing that brought down the Soviet empire

Although the former Soviet Union had its problems with Afghanistan, the arms race, et.al., the thing that really brought it down was that its own people quit believing in it...someone summarized it as crumbling from within - the cronyism, cynicism and corruption....I think people in this country are losing their belief that the government is capable of serving the people. Or is it just that with our distractions we have failed to notice what was happening until we got George Bush....:shrug: