The left turns compliant on violating civil liberties

The Washington Post ^ | Fri June 14, 2013 | Dana Milbank

[MinorityRepublican]

Where have all the liberals gone?

President Obama, who as a Democratic senator accused the Bush administration of violating civil liberties in the name of security, now vigorously defends his own administration’s collection of Americans’ phone records and Internet activities.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said he thinks Congress has done sufficient intelligence oversight. His evidence? Opinion polls.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi defended the programs’ legality and said she wants Edward Snowden prosecuted for leaking details of the secret operations.

Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Senate intelligence committee, accused Snowden of treason and defended false testimony given to her committee by the director of national intelligence, who in March had denied the programs’ existence.

With some exceptions, progressive lawmakers and the liberal commentariat have been passive and acquiescent toward the secret spying programs, which would have infuriated the left had they been the work of a Republican administration.

When libertarian Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) introduced legislation last week to curb the surveillance powers, he had no co-sponsors. When he held a news conference this week to unveil a lawsuit claiming the surveillance is unconstitutional, five members of Congress joined him — all Republicans.

[Dilbert San Diego]

Well, at the risk of sounding stupid, it seems that liberals are okay with whatever the Obama administration does.

The surveillance done by the Bush administration was outrageous to liberals because it was being done by Bush, not because they were outraged at threats to civil liberties. Likewise, liberals are okay with this happening under Obama, because it’s happening under Obama.

[Regulator]

NSA data collection is nothing compared to IRS intimidation of a legitimate political movement.

That’s police state criminality.

Imagine if Bush had done that to MoveOn.org.

The riots would still be going on.

[Gene Eric]

When ever did the Left give a damn about civil liberties?

The Left is a gang of commies that live to constrain.

[School of Rational Thought]

The power of fascism is intoxicating. The leftists see a chance to dominate and they are all too excited.

[factoryrat]

Well DUH! Leftist socialists aren’t exactly known for honoring or preserving the rights of individuals. Idiots voted for these Constantine wanna-be’s, so they can’t complain when they get just exactly what they asked for.

[randita]

Maybe if journalists like Milbank hadn’t spent the last 10 years likening Obama to the Messiah, people would be much more distrusting of him and his agenda.

Milbank is very wrong in his assertion that conservatives, by and large, thought Bush’s attacks on civil liberties were just hunky dory.

Maybe McCain and Grahamnesty were fine with it, but folks on FR and other conservative sites were incensed about it. They knew, rightly so, that in the hands of a Democrat regime, freedom would be further eroded.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Where have all the liberals gone?

Just like conservatives, they stop playing libertarian for public consumption once they have the power.

Voters (see Exhibit A: California) still hear only the lofty rhetoric long after the deeds have stopped matching the words.

[Standing Wolf]

The Left is a gang of commies that live to constrain.

Let me suggest a couple tweaks, please, Gene Eric:

The Left is a gang of communist cannibals that live to constrain devour.

[Jeff Head]

Americans should forget what the Obama administration and the RINOs say. Listen to what this 40 year career NSA individual has to say, William Benny, who became the Director of the Intelligence Division at the NSA, managing over 6,000 analysts, and has personal knowledge of this program's capabilities.

Former Director of NSA Intelligence reveals the full extent of PRISM capabilities. MUST SEE!

Another William Benny interview about PRISM and the NSA

This is going to get a lot worse before it gets better, and at this point, I am afraid only a general uprising by the American people themselves will be able to stop it.

SNOWDEN, PRISM AND THE NSA

[Bluestocking]

‘’Where have all the liberals gone?’’

Where have all the liberal NEWSPAPERS gone, like the one Dana Milbank works for?

When Republican president Richard Nixon was engaged in wrongdoing, the Washington Post exerted every ounce of energy and resources it could muster to expose even the slightest inappropriate behavior on the president’s part. Yet when Democratic president Barack Obama commits crimes that are ten times worse against the Constitution and the American people, the Washington Post has been virtually silent.

Whereas, the hero of Watergate was the Washington Post, the hero of Obamagate has been the Guardian of London, which exposed the truth about what was going on in the American government because the liberal American newspapers have refused to do their jobs.

[douginthearmy]

Nailed it! 6 months to a year into the net republican presidency and most conservatives will have forgotten all about the Fourth Amendment and the previously compliant liberals will be up in arms. Meanwhile the government will grow.. and grow and grow and grow.

Of course, there may not be a next republican president. Or president for that matter.