Posted on 01/19/2012 7:47:23 AM PST by Beave Meister
After reading Andrew Sullivan's Newsweek essay about President Obama, his critics, and his re-election bid, I implore him to ponder just one question. How would you have reacted in 2008 if any Republican ran promising to do the following?
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
We had a research thread on Obama’s failed policies and here is a list of legal/constitutional Executive Office transgressions Obama has visited on our Nation and people. From the author of this Atlantic article:
(1) Codify indefinite detention into law; (2) draw up a secret kill list of people, including American citizens, to assassinate without due process; (3) proceed with warrantless spying on American citizens; (4) prosecute Bush-era whistleblowers for violating state secrets; (5) reinterpret the War Powers Resolution such that entering a war of choice without a Congressional declaration is permissible; (6) enter and prosecute such a war; (7) institutionalize naked scanners and intrusive full body pat-downs in major American airports; (8) oversee a planned expansion of TSA so that its agents are already beginning to patrol American highways, train stations, and bus depots; (9) wage an undeclared drone war on numerous Muslim countries that delegates to the CIA the final call about some strikes that put civilians in jeopardy; (10) invoke the state-secrets privilege to dismiss lawsuits brought by civil-liberties organizations on dubious technicalities rather than litigating them on the merits; (11) preside over federal raids on medical marijuana dispensaries; (12) attempt to negotiate an extension of American troops in Iraq beyond 2011 (an effort that thankfully failed); (14) reauthorize the Patriot Act; (13) and select an economic team mostly made up of former and future financial executives from Wall Street firms that played major roles in the financial crisis.
Slightly reformatted:
How would you have reacted in 2008 if any Republican ran promising to do the following?
(1) Codify indefinite detention into law;
(2) draw up a secret kill list of people, including American citizens, to assassinate without due process;
(3) proceed with warrantless spying on American citizens;
(4) prosecute Bush-era whistleblowers for violating state secrets;
(5) reinterpret the War Powers Resolution such that entering a war of choice without a Congressional declaration is permissible;
(6) enter and prosecute such a war;
(7) institutionalize naked scanners and intrusive full body pat-downs in major American airports;
(8) oversee a planned expansion of TSA so that its agents are already beginning to patrol American highways, train stations, and bus depots;
(9) wage an undeclared drone war on numerous Muslim countries that delegates to the CIA the final call about some strikes that put civilians in jeopardy;
(10) invoke the state-secrets privilege to dismiss lawsuits brought by civil-liberties organizations on dubious technicalities rather than litigating them on the merits;
(11) preside over federal raids on medical marijuana
dispensaries;
(12) attempt to negotiate an extension of American troops in Iraq beyond 2011 (an effort that thankfully failed); (14)(sic) reauthorize the Patriot Act;
(13)(sic) and select an economic team mostly made up of former and future financial executives from Wall Street firms that played major roles in the financial crisis.
Sort of. It seems to give Andrew Sullivan (and Newsweek) a bit too much credit for “having a point.” They don’t. Take any supposedly “absurd” claim against Obama, and we on FR can show you a dozen or so about Bush. Turnabout is fair play, and it’s clear the left can’t possibly take what they dish out.
Great list! I’m distributing it to my email list.
I have not read the Newsweek piece— I find the cover too GAY.
I gave up reading Newsweek back when it became activist for gay rights. Calling all Obama critics dumb is no different than saying anyone who questions the gay rights movement —homophobe. A wise professor of mine once taught a General statement is most often generally wrong.
Ahhhhh.....a writer from the atlantic fighting with a writer from newsweek? The slapping and hair-pulling will be fun to watch. One of them might fall over and you’ll see her undies.
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