Obama is STILL fucking up re: torture and security and governmental eavesdropping

[unusualmusic_lj_archive]

Diana Feinstein trying to whitewash investigation into Bush crimes?

Obama's efforts to block a judicial ruling on Bush's illegal eavesdropping

Obama’s Two “Ifs” on FISA: Heads I Win, Tails You Lose

Briefs on FISA are coming out in Northern California so fast and furious it's hard to keep them straight. Just as a reminder there are two main cases:

* al-Haramain, in which the Bush (and now Obama) Administration has invoked State Secrets to prevent lawyers for the defunct charity al-Haramain from using clear evidence that Bush wiretapped them illegally to prove that Bush wiretapped them illegally
* Retroactive immunity (Jewel/EFF), in which the Electronic Frontier Foundation is challenging the retroactive immunity statute Congress passed last year on Constitutional grounds

The Obama stance on these two cases is worth looking at in conjunction because the Obama position toward congressionally-passed law is perfectly crafted to gut civil liberties (and Article III authority), all based on Obama's interpretation of "if."

Astoundingly, both al-Haramain and retroactive immunity are almost certainly headed for the Appeals Court to rule on the meaning of two "if's" (and one "shall") appearing in FISA-related law. MORE

BREAKING: The 9th Circuit Says State Secrets Can’t Halt al-Haramain Suit



Obama's FISA headache


Obama’s Response to the al-Haramain Smack-Down? Cheneyesque Reasoning


US govt opposes court access for Bagram prisoners


Bait and Switch? Closing Guantanomo Bay and enlarging Bagram