Yeah, well, I'm not entirely surprised. Though I'm not sure if the Obama administration decided there really were some things they wanted kept secret in the same modus operandi as the Bush administration. I'd say it's fairly likely there's stuff they've found out Americans have done over the past eight years that they don't want to have to deal with, even if it's a new administration.

I'm of the opinion, though, that you confess your sins, man up to them, learn from them, and move on. So if that's the case, we shouldn't be hiding from them.

It seems like they haven't looked at the content of the case and are only looking at the frequency the privilege is used but in Bush's case it was obvious he was improperly using it. Get back to me when you can say he is improperly using the privilege and then we'll talk.

This was bound to happen. When he was on the campaign trail, it was an easy thing to promise. But then, moments after they swore him in as president, they told him about the alien spacecraft at Area 51, the existence of The Stargate, and the true identity of Jimmy Carter.

Unless there's more justification for it that makes sense beyond "we can't tell you that," this has ended my financial support for Obama.

However, while it's a very, very important issue, it's not the only issue, and does not affect anything other than the thing in and of itself.

CtrlAltDelete: This was bound to happen. When he was on the campaign trail, it was an easy thing to promise. But then, moments after they swore him in as president, they told him about the alien spacecraft at Area 51, the existence of The Stargate, and the true identity of Jimmy Carter. introduced him to his boss and then wheeled out the frozen corpse of JFK to show what happens to bad little employees.

FTFY

CtrlAltDelete: they told him about the alien spacecraft at Area 51, the existence of The Stargate, and the true identity of Jimmy Carter.

I don't care who ya are...that was funny.

CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN! HOPE!

Just kidding, I don't know what's true and what's not anymore since the Right lies so god damn much to get its Moby Dick fix. I'll wait for a more hinged source.

rcain: CtrlAltDelete: This was bound to happen. When he was on the campaign trail, it was an easy thing to promise. But then, moments after they swore him in as president, they told him about the alien spacecraft at Area 51, the existence of The Stargate, and the true identity of Jimmy Carter. introduced him to his boss and then wheeled out the frozen corpse of JFK to show what happens to bad little employees.

FTFY

LOL! Funny cuz it's true.

Fer Christ sales, he's only had the job for 10 weeks!!

How much did you completely change the world in the first 10 weeks of your job??

Cut the guy and his staff some slack. It's going to take years to unwind all the crap.

CtrlAltDelete: and the true identity of Jimmy Carter.

I KNEW IT.

CtrlAltDelete: and the true identity of Jimmy Carter.

fred savage?

PC LOAD LETTER: CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN! HOPE!

Just kidding, I don't know what's true and what's not anymore since the Right lies so god damn much to get its Moby Dick fix. I'll wait for a more hinged source.

Prior to 9/11, State-secrets privilege was used to keep certain pieces of evidence out of trial due to its sensitive nature. After 9/11, Bush changed that to include blocking pretty much any evidence that would be required for a court case to go forward.

With this move, Obama did just that--he effectively blocked Jewel v. NSA.

/For the record, I'm an Obama supporter
//I am NOT a happy camper about this

PC LOAD LETTER: I'll wait for a more hinged source.

Here's a good source that cites even MORE sources

Ryan2065: It seems like they haven't looked at the content of the case and are only looking at the frequency the privilege is used but in Bush's case it was obvious he was improperly using it. Get back to me when you can say he is improperly using the privilege and then we'll talk.

don't be lazy. read the article. there are 3 troubling cases in which the DOJ has invoked the state secrets clause. the most prominent, to me, is al-Haramain Islamic Foundation v. Bush.

basically, the gov't accused a charity of being a source of funding to terrorism. the charity sued Bush saying they went against the constitution in their wiretapping activities. the gov't accidentally faxed them classified info proving the (contested) illegal wiretaps took place. the DOJ is claiming through the state secrets clause that this info is classified, and cannot be used as evidence.

so the evidence proving the gov't farked up isn't admissible because its classified, thus negating any day in court they rightfully should receive. can you imagine that the evidence proving your innocence was inadmissible because the person suing you said it was?

i like obama, i voted for him and i support a lot of his agenda and what he is doing and how he is doing it. but this is horseshiat.

Dancin_In_Anson: I don't care who ya are...that was funny.

no matter what promises you make on the campaign trail - blah, blah, blah - when you win, you go into this smoky room with the twelve industrialist, capitalist scumfarks that got you in there, and this little screen comes down... and it's a shot of the Kennedy assassination from an angle you've never seen before, which looks suspiciously off the grassy knoll.... And then the screen comes up, the lights come on, and they say to the new president, 'Any questions?'

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

rcain: CtrlAltDelete: This was bound to happen. When he was on the campaign trail, it was an easy thing to promise. But then, moments after they swore him in as president, they told him about the alien spacecraft at Area 51, the existence of The Stargate, and the true identity of Jimmy Carter. introduced him to his boss and then wheeled out the frozen corpse of JFK to show what happens to bad little employees.

FTFY

Headso: CtrlAltDelete: and the true identity of Jimmy Carter.

fred savage?

well he is the greatest actor of all time...

Boo Obama! I guess the lure of executive power is too much to overcome.

A judge should be able to make the determination as to whether state secrets are really at risk or not. To leave that power in the hands of the executive branch is a ridiculous conflict of interest.

Browncoat: Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

you can quote Who.

CtrlAltDelete: the existence of The Stargate

The FAR Gate. "EFFFF". Not like that movie. Or the syndicated TV show based on the movie.



It was a pretty good movie though. Turn on the TV, maybe it's on!

Show me where he ever said he would NEVER recognize State Secrets.

For bonus points, show me a group of nitpicking butthurt trolls who turn any statement or issue (real and imagined) into an absolute when it suits them.

Attn: GOP
You're being trolled, HARD.
Thanks,
America

Rain-Monkey: Fer Christ sales, he's only had the job for 10 weeks!!

How much did you completely change the world in the first 10 weeks of your job??

Cut the guy and his staff some slack. It's going to take years to unwind all the crap.

After all, Obama is making it certain that it will take years to unwind all the crap. Get on board, people.

Browncoat: Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

I totally agree. Next time we should all vote Libertarian!!!
I "wasted my vote" this time, however i wasn't gonna vote for a geriatric old fart or the idiot community organizer.

Did he ever promise to do this within his first 90 days in office?

Didn't think so.

Should he just dump everything Bush put into place at once, before any suitable alternatives have been explored? That sounds like something the last Administration would have done.

Apik0r0s: Show me where he ever said he would NEVER recognize State Secrets.

For bonus points, show me a group of nitpicking butthurt trolls who turn any statement or issue (real and imagined) into an absolute when it suits them.

Attn: GOP
You're being trolled, HARD.
Thanks,
America

The problem is that the administration wants to be able to determine what is a state secret rather than allowing a neutral third party make that determination. It's an obvious conflict of interest.

Dancin_In_Anson: CtrlAltDelete: they told him about the alien spacecraft at Area 51, the existence of The Stargate, and the true identity of Jimmy Carter.

I don't care who ya are...that was funny.

hey man, shape-shifting lizards are NOT HUMOROUS IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM. especially when they end up in the white house.

/detectable by rabbits.

brainiac-dumdum: Apik0r0s: Show me where he ever said he would NEVER recognize State Secrets.

For bonus points, show me a group of nitpicking butthurt trolls who turn any statement or issue (real and imagined) into an absolute when it suits them.

Attn: GOP
You're being trolled, HARD.
Thanks,
America

The problem is that the administration wants to be able to determine what is a state secret rather than allowing a neutral third party make that determination. It's an obvious conflict of interest.

It wouldn't be a state secret if someone other than the state knew about it.

Your banking account information, let me verify that it is secure...

Heck, Even Keith O. is getting upset over this stuff. He is actually...criticizing the Obama administration a lot this week.

I wondered when people were going to pick up on this story -- it got some press weeks ago here in SF because of the Jewel case.

We do have a real cause for concern here. Not every President who comes after Obama will be the gentlemanly type.

I believe the POTUS can do this.


It is a necessary thing.



It does not make Obama less of an empty suit hypocrite though. It does however make the millions who believed his bullshiat even moar stupider.



Maccus: Next time we should all vote Libertarian!!!


That would be awesome, if we could only get a decent candidate.

TPM is nothing more than Faux News. They both get their racist talking points from the GOP.

DeathByGeekSquad: brainiac-dumdum: Apik0r0s: Show me where he ever said he would NEVER recognize State Secrets.

For bonus points, show me a group of nitpicking butthurt trolls who turn any statement or issue (real and imagined) into an absolute when it suits them.

Attn: GOP
You're being trolled, HARD.
Thanks,
America

The problem is that the administration wants to be able to determine what is a state secret rather than allowing a neutral third party make that determination. It's an obvious conflict of interest.

It wouldn't be a state secret if someone other than the state knew about it.

Your banking account information, let me verify that it is secure...

Is the judiciary not part of the state?

Apik0r0s: Did he ever promise to do this within his first 90 days in office?

Didn't think so.

Should he just dump everything Bush put into place at once, before any suitable alternatives have been explored? That sounds like something the last Administration would have done.

Actually it sounds like something Obama has already done with the shutting down of Gitmo.

Phil Herup: I believe the POTUS can do this.


It is a necessary thing.



It does not make Obama less of an empty suit hypocrite though. It does however make the millions who believed his bullshiat even moar stupider.



Maccus: Next time we should all vote Libertarian!!!


That would be awesome, if we could only get a decent candidate.

Some day we will get a good candidate and the sheep will all open their eyes.

I've also very disappointed in Obama's 180 on this issue. He campaigned on stopping this shiat, and while other than this I think he's doing a great job, this is just disgraceful. He owes the American people a godsdamned explanation.

Maccus: Some day we will get a good candidate and the sheep will all open their eyes.

If they did that, they've vote socialist.

This, from a site who's cover story is questioning whether the current state of the economy is turning America's children goth?

*snore*

Maccus: Some day we will get a good candidate and the sheep will all open their eyes.



No, the liberals fear it. Too much responsibility. Sad.

GOP can't handle it either.

Phil Herup: Maccus: Some day we will get a good candidate and the sheep will all open their eyes.



No, the liberals fear it. Too much responsibility. Sad.

GOP can't handle it either.

god, yer ego knows no bounds.

Apik0r0s

When Glenn Greenwald & Keith Olbermann think you are being a bit excessive, you probably are. Then there was this absurd exchange at a Q&A session...

Q. Last Friday, the Justice Department invoked the state secrets privilege in asking a judge to dismiss a civil suit filed against the National Security Administration regarding its domestic surveillance program. And in its brief, the Justice Department argued that Americans have no right to sue the government for alleged illegal surveillance.

Does the President support the Justice Department's positions in that case?

MR. GIBBS: Yes, absolutely. It's the -- absolutely does. Obviously, these are programs that have been debated and discussed, but the President does support that viewpoint.
.
.
.
Q. Before he was elected, the President said that the Bush administration had abused the state secrets privilege. Has he changed his mind?

MR. GIBBS: No. I mean, obviously, we're dealing with some suits, and the President will -- and the Justice Department will make determinations based on protecting our national security.

Q. So he still thinks that the Bush administration abused the state secrets privilege?

MR. GIBBS: Yes.

There is no perfect candidate that will do things your way 100% of the time. I'm extremely pissed off over this, but I still can't think of a better person to be sitting in the Oval Office right now, and he may have his reasons. Neither I nor any of you possess perfect knowledge.

Phil Herup: No, the liberals fear it. Too much responsibility. Sad.

Liberal
Libertarian

Have a lot in commmon

Heck, if you'll lie about a stupid bow you'll lie about anything.

portscanner: TPM is nothing more than Faux News. They both get their racist talking points from the GOP.

Finally, a post that makes sense. All this truthy crap is boring. It's a neocon website wharrgarrbll conspiracy that actually benefits everyone. Democrats get to faux outrage at Lord Obongos broken promise and Republicans get to just outrage/hahahaha/Obama/fail.

Everyone wins.

Tranquil Hegemony: I'm extremely pissed off over this, but I still can't think of a better person to be sitting in the Oval Office right now


Why are you pissed off?

You can't think of a better person for the Oval Ofice right now? He is not even a leader. If the job was to campaign several times a year, or all year, I would say you are right.

Shaggy_C: Phil Herup: No, the liberals fear it. Too much responsibility. Sad.

Liberal
Libertarian

Have a lot in commmon



They do. No argument there.

From the Huffington Post: (new window)

The distinction between how Obama and Bush were handling the issue, a White House official told the Huffington Post, would come to light once the Attorney General continued to review the cases involving the use of the state secrets privilege.

How about they just go ahead and tell us what the distinction is now? They're killing themselves with their own supporters (like myself) by being so obtuse about this.

B-b-but Bush?

CtrlAltDelete: This was bound to happen. When he was on the campaign trail, it was an easy thing to promise. But then, moments after they swore him in as president, they told him about the alien spacecraft at Area 51, the existence of The Stargate, and the true identity of Jimmy Carter.

lol what? so jimmy is a Reptile? is that it?

Shaggy_C: Phil Herup: No, the liberals fear it. Too much responsibility. Sad.

Liberal
Libertarian

Have a lot in commmon

He just doesn't have an axe to grind with the libertarians yet.