I tend to agree with those who feel that we have no real choice but to go after them criiminally for what they've done. The bottom line is deterrence; absent prosecution what is there to stop a future George W. Bush or even worse? So, we must keep exerting pressure on Obama to at least join the International Criminal Court, and not to try protecting these thugs from an exercise of jurisdiction by that court.

Sure, it would feel good to me personally to witness Bush & co sent to jail (retribution), but we must overcome personal preferences. Also, it may not be good for our collective self esteem to see former leaders led away, but, again, there is no choice if our democracy is to survive. The real question that we must be prepared for is what happens if there is another terrrorist incident under Obama's watch? We know that it may be no fault of his or his administration but, nonetheless, he will be blamed badly politically for it. After all, the average independent in this country is willing to say "screw it" to torture, loss of constitutional rights, and all the rest, to be safe. Framed this way, the question really goes to the continuation of a free democracy or the imposition of a real dictator.

Also, I don't think that a discussion of this possiblilty is to waste time dealing with only a remote possibility. Terrorists are continually trying to gain entry across our admittedly porous borders, and the chances of at least one getting through and touching off a major incident is not minor. What will or should the left do in such circumstance?

The answer can only be the education of the public: to drill home the likelihood of a terrorist occurrence regardless of the effiicacy of efforts to stop it. In fact, we should be talking more of this now and not waiting for the event to happen. The alternative is the obvious crushing of any liberal leaning regime in this country, and a "goosestepping" in line while blindly following a leader who appears and calls for safety of the "homeland" at all costs.

I feel that it comes down to just that. If we are to retain any chance of a free and relatively open society (and avoid real dictatorship), we must stress the likelihood of another terrorist event regardless of the effort to prevent it. Can the public handle it? Better to err on the side of truth.

And that final thought (at the risk of oversimplification) summarizes what we can realistically hope for in the coming Obama Administration: in sharp contrast to the last 8 years, being open and truthful with the American people. Let's only hope.