I recently ran a couple of columns (here and here) and postings criticizing President Obama’s assertion of the right to kill citizens as a presidential prerogative. It now appears that he has delegated the selection of targets for killings to a panel of unnamed officials who determine which people should be killed without a trial or even a charge. When it comes to citizens like Anwar al-Awlaki, the killings raise serious constitutional problems that are being kept from the courts by the Administration.
The identity of the members of the death panel are secret. There is no public record of their decisions or the basis for the kill order. Indeed, neither the target nor the public will necessarily know that it was this panel that ordered the killing.
While civil libertarians are raising voices of concern over such extrajudicial killings of citizens, the Obama Administration has portrayed “the killing of Awlaki as a demonstration of President Barack Obama’s toughness toward militants who threaten the United States.” It has worked. Even conservatives are cheering the killings of the two citizens. Apparently, death panels in health care are enough to rally thousands in opposition but an actual death panel produces nary a yawn if the targets are hated. The fear is that this is how the rule of law dies — to the cheers and thunderous applause of citizens.
The results of the panel are simply submitted to the President, who retains the authority to countermand their decisions.
Obama has the distinction of putting the first citizen on the list. As noted in the earlier postings, Bush killed a citizen who was riding with a target, but Obama outdid his predecessor again in ordering the killing of a citizen.
Source: Reuters
If you voted for Obama in 2008 to prove you were not a races
Vote for somebody else in 2012 to prove your not a dumb-ass.
Nuff said
SwM,
I recognize the importance of the Supremes, how could one not after spending time on this blog. but the whole lot of them gives me the creeps. That being said, I agree with you and OS on the matter of dem/rep appointments.
“In all honesty, I do not see a real difference between Bush or his successor…Just call me naive….” (AY)
okay … you’re naive 🙂
I see many differences but one glaring similarity … they both do whatever the CIA tells them to do.
SwM,
Tex worked for Hillary … he was a huge supporter … first and only time he involved himself in politics.
I worked for Kucinich though I liked Hillary.
AY,
I was referring to the democrats and their field of candidates vying for the nomination.
I will take Kagan and Sotomayor over Roberts and Alito any day.
Blouise, I think you worked for Hillary, right?
Blouise,
I am not sure what you are saying…If I have it correct….Everyone (or almost everyone) was looking at anyone but a Bush or Bush endorsed protegee…. if that is not what you mean then would you expound upon this…Thank you…
In all honesty, I do not see a real difference between Bush or his successor…Just call me naive….
I supported Carter. I was never a supporter of Ted Kennedy. I was lukewarm for Jack and strong for Bobby.
Re: expensive … yes … the time to have stopped Obama was four years ago but everybody bought into his rhetoric and few looked at his actual record. They saw what they wanted to see.
Blouise, It is too expensive. Did you support Kennedy over Carter in 1980?
Henman. There is a draft Bernie Sanders movement but Kucinich and Feingold have said they are not running. I would not vote for Kucinich now, either. I liked him in 2004 but favored Dean more.
SwM,
Every elected official I have ever met sees himself/herself as President … ambitious to a fault so no matter what they say, I never count them out.
I doubt anyone can mount a serious threat to the incumbent … however, I will encourage them to try.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/07/mitt-romney-speech-foreign-policy_n_1000158.html Romney’s speech on foreign policy was very hard line, and he commits to American exceptionalism. Henman, If there is a better choice on the ballot, I will vote for him or her. So far there is none and the primary filing dates are approaching. All of the people you mention have said they are not running. I understand your disappointment with Obama. Yes, I would vote for him because of the court appointees.
Correction:
There is good news and bad news….The good news is I can get the rope your going to hang with on sale….The bad news is your still going to hang…Do you want to add the increased expense to your cost of incarceration…..or would the last one we used be a problem for you…..
It is all a matter of perspective…
HenMan,
I was going to really push for Dennis but then I discovered his deep admiration for Ron Paul … yuck!
So now it’s Russ Feingold.
Bernie Sanders does seem to have a more balanced view of Ron Paul than Dennis has … so maybe Bernie.
I worked against the nomination of Obama last election and will continue to do so this election but, quite frankly, I don’t expect to have any greater success this time around than last time.
HenMan,
I am not advocating trowing Obama under the Bus…but for lots of folks…he has not lived up to his campaign promises….I think I had made the same point you did earlier about Obama being a sell out…
It seems like the story about being hung……
There is good news and bad news….The good news is I got the rope that I can get the rope your going to hang with on sale….The bad news is your still going to hang…Do you want to add the increased expense to your cost of incarceration…..or would the last one we used be a problem for you…..
It is all a matter of perspective…
Blouise,
for some this place could be considered a cult…The Greatful Dead could have what people call groupies or cult followers…it all depends on your view points….and Especially Grandchildren……
AY,
The cult of grandchildren is mighty powerful.
OS and Swarthmore Mom-
Do you really want to endure four more years of Barack Obama on the off chance that a Supreme Court Justice will die or resign during his second term? Do you still trust him to make a wise choice after watching him move to the right on issue after issue? And make one compromise after another demonstrating his lack of political and moral values? Do you trust him not to make a deal with the Republicans behind closed doors to approve his choice in exchange for throwing Social Security and Medicare under the bus? Or appoint a dubious middle-of-the-road candidate to prevent another Government shutdown blackmail?
The choice does not have to be Barack Obama vs. a Republican. It could be Bernie Sanders, or Dennis Kucinich, or Russ Feingold, or any of a dozen other men or women with actual Progressive political standards and actual moral values. Don’t “settle for” Obama. There are better choices. And the times demand that we make better choices. The status quo stinks and the stench worsens every day.
It seems that anything that is time consuming or takes over your life can be considered a cult…
Definition of CULT
1 : formal religious veneration : worship
2: a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents
3: a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also : its body of adherents
4: a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator
5a : great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book); especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad
b : the object of such devotion
c : a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion