Obama Got Bin Laden. Period.

Jan 30th, 2012

Sullivan hammers the naysayers in a continued defense of his Obama "long game" piece and adds this interesting reminder of GOP and Democratic critiques of the current President's campaign promise a mere 3 1/2 years ago to go after Osama Bin Laden just the way he eventually did.

S1867 - Assaulting Liberty & Codifying Permawar

Dec 1st, 2011
UPDATE: 8:45PM CST - The bill has passed the Senate with the Levin/Mccain provisions intact

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A short time ago, a second attempt to counter a dramatic expansion of military power over U.S. citizens here at home was rebuffed. An amendment to the contentious National Defense Appropriations Act (S 1867) proposed by Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) failed in a 45 to 55 vote. The threat to long established freedoms continues.

As I wrote earlier this week, when the the first effort to block this un-Constitutional expansion of power failed, there were other proposals to do so. I also wrote that they were no more likely to succeed. With today's renewed fighting, it's time to look this arch redefinition of our system squarely in the eye.

Senators Levin and McCain Channel Orwell

Nov 28th, 2011
by F. Grey Parker 

Hey, kids! This could soon be YOU!

Having spent the greater part of yesterday and today pointing out the fact that the McCain/Levin provisions in the annual National Defense Authorization Act, SB 1867, are among the most serious attacks on due process, trial by jury, habeas corpus and a free society in living memory, it was with more than a degree of revulsion that I read their joint op-ed in the Washington Post a short time ago.

In the land of Levin/McCain, up is down, white is black and, yes, freedom is slavery:

"We are concerned that much of the debate over these provisions demonstrates a basic misunderstanding of what this bill would do and attributes to it many things that it would not do."

Apparently, if we think something might be amiss, we are guilty of "misunderstanding."

Would you like to know what the Levin/McCain provision would and would not do? Here goes. If enacted, sections 1031 and 1032 of the NDAA would...

Fact: Explicitly authorize the federal government to indefinitely imprison without charge or trial American citizens and others picked up inside and outside the United States.

Fact: Mandate military detention of some civilians who would otherwise be outside of military control, including civilians picked up within the United States itself

Fact: Transfer to the Department of Defense core prosecutorial, investigative, law enforcement, penal, and custodial authority and responsibility now held by the Department of Justice.
(sourced)

No, no, no, they say. We have it all wrong.

"The most controversial point involves the circumstances under which a terrorist detainee should be held in military, rather than civilian, custody. The bill provides that a narrowly defined group of people — al-Qaeda terrorists who participate in planning or conducting attacks against us — be held in military custody."

Ooooh. Well. That's different. Those subject to these provisions are "narrowly defined." They are "al-Qaeda." According to whom?

"It is the executive branch that determines whether a detainee meets the criteria for military custody, under procedures that this legislation allows the executive branch to develop."

Got it? That's the "criteria." It's the "executive" who decides. That's it. The "executive," whomever that may be, gets to establish the whole structure for a system of vast new powers with a single pen stroke. The Roman Caesars didn't have it this easy this fast. At least the ancient Roman Senate took substantially longer in times of far greater upheaval to give nearly God-like powers to their despots.

Senators Levin and McCain are clearly a little nervous. They seem to have, over the weekend, become aware that, despite the provisons having been agreed upon in secret committee, educated and activist Americans have actually read them. Their response? Blackmail:

"Congress has passed a defense authorization bill every year for five decades. This year’s bill includes pay raises for our troops, funding for equipment to protect them from roadside bombs, and medical care and other benefits for them and their families. It would be extremely unfortunate if disagreements over these detainee provisions prevented us from passing this bill and fulfilling those duties. But it would be tragic if this happened because of misunderstandings about what the bill says and does."

Therefore, if we have reservations about a bill that would provide for the creation of a Gulag culture in America, and in expressing said reservations might hold up the bill, we are being 'anti-troop.'

Of course, patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel... and the fascist.

With all due respect, this is evil. This must be stopped. If it is not, it is a nail in the coffin of our country.

The Steady Erosion Of Rights

Nov 28th, 2011
Information on how to act is at the bottom of the post

The U.S. Senate is poised to vote today on S. 1867, the annual National Defense Authorization Act. This year's bill is very different. It is a threat to our fundamental way of life. This is not hyperbole.

There are two provisions contained in the legislation, drafted by Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), which would allow the current and all future Presidents to declare a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil an enemy combatant. Any one of us, for any reason, could be arrested, detained and held indefinitely without charge or trial by our own military.

It is an existential moment for our country. We are now faced with the question of whether or not we are still America. It has been long coming. Many of us have argued since the initial passage of the Patriot Act and the launch of our now more than a decade old state of Permawar that the steady betrayal of our founding principles would eventually lead to just this sort of casual dismissal of the most basic guarantees provided by the Constitution.

Incredibly Reluctant Hat Tip

May 12th, 2011

As we have noted with disdain, the criminals of the previous administration have seized upon the operation which killed Osama Bin Laden to not only excuse acts of torture but also to justify their advocacy of this immorality.

Enter Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). Sen. McCain is a servant of the people about whom I am greatly ambivalent. Nevertheless, his forceful counter to these manipulators and violators of America's values is to be hailed as an important contribution.

From today's WaPo.
"We did not learn Abu Ahmed’s real name or alias as a result of waterboarding or any ‘enhanced interrogation technique’ used on a detainee in U.S. custody. None of the three detainees who were waterboarded provided Abu Ahmed’s real name, his whereabouts, or an accurate description of his role in Al-Qaeda."

It gets better...

"In fact, not only did the use of ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ on Khalid Sheikh Mohammed not provide us with key leads on bin Laden’s courier, Abu Ahmed; it actually produced false and misleading information." EMPHASIS OURS

Hats off, Mr. Senator. And God Bless you for this one.

Curmudgeon!

Dec 22nd, 2010

Some readers have noted that I've been taking more than a few shots at McCain this week. Yeah? So? I was actually going to try and get through today without publishing an unflattering picture of him.

This was too good to pass up.

Joe Klein On John McCain

Dec 20th, 2010

Wow...

"I used to know a different John McCain, the guy who proposed comprehensive immigration reform with Ted Kennedy, the guy--a conservative, to be sure, but an honorable one--who refused to indulge in the hateful strictures of his party's extremists. His public fall has been spectacular, a consequence of politics--he "needed" to be reelected--and personal pique. He's a bitter man now, who can barely tolerate the fact that he lost to Barack Obama. But he lost for an obvious reason: his campaign proved him to be puerile and feckless, a politician who panicked when the heat was on during the financial collapse, a trigger-happy gambler who chose an incompetent for his vice president. He has made quite a show ever since of demonstrating his petulance and lack of grace.

What a guy."

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