The President today did a good thing by releasing the Bush regime's "torture memos".  Sadly, at the same time he also chose to avoid doing what he was elected to do: bring change to the country.  Instead, he chose, once again, to adopt a position that essentially let's every brazen criminal act of the Bush years go unpunished.  He defends this position with a weak and, in my opinion, cowardly political dodge about "looking forward".  You've heard all that blather before.  It is used, always, in order to avoid doing what is right. 

The President's refusal to do his job, which is "to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States" is a dereliction of duty of the first oder.  Looking the other way when we know with certainty that our government has committed these crimes is legally, ethically, and morally indefensible.  It's that simple. 

If we refuse to investigate and/or prosecute those who torture, those who mock the law by creating bogus legal opinions justifying every illegal act, and those whose criminal conduct costs the lives of other human beings either directly or indirectly then we are inviting more and greater criminality in the future.  If we refuse to investigate and prosecute torture is there any crimes that our government, it's leaders and employees can commit that will rise to the level of abhorrent enough, heinous enough, grisly enough that we will then actually go to the trouble of punishing the criminals?

I voted for Obama.  I contributed to his campaign as did millions of us.  I pray for the success of his administration generally.  But I cannot, in any way support what amounts to him sanctioning illegal and immoral conduct on the part of our government it's leaders and it's employees. 

Keith Olbermann, in one of the best "special comments" he has done to date, says it all much better and more clearly than I do here.  But what Obama's position amounts to is saying "I was only following orders" is a valid defense for criminal and often inhuman conduct that any decent, law abiding person would know is not legal, moral or ethical.  We did not accept that amoral defense from Nazi's or from the Japanese after World War II and insisted upon their prosecution which was the only right and just thing to do.  Now, right now, is the time to insist that we live up to our own standards.  What better example could the USA set for the entire world than to make sure that those who use this defense in our country are brought to justice and made to bear the responsibility for their criminal acts?  And I do not mean only those who were physically implementing the illegal policies, but I also mean those who set the policies up to and including the President and Vice President.  If we fail to live up to our moral duty in this instance it will come back to haunt our country in the future in the form of much worse and more widespread crimes in violation of the Consitution, our laws and treaties, and in other egregious crimes against humanity.

I recommend Olbermann's special comment tonight to one and all.  You can find it at:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677#30254996

As today's front page at TPM makes clear, the executive branch of government cannot wield the sort of police state powers it has unlawfully and unconstitutionally claimed for itself without abusing those powers over and over again.  You can find the story of NSA wanting to bug a member of Congress without a warrant here: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/04/report_nsa_tried_to_wiretap_member_of_congress.php?ref=fp1

This is why the Constitution puts unbounded power out of reach of the government unless it is at least checked by a warrant from a judge.  Since the Bush junta began to grab this power there have been a plethora of abuses reported over and over in the media and to Congress.  No matter what they say and no matter what excuses they provide, there is no way to avoid these sorts of abuses when the activity the government is engaged in is, itself, an abuse of power.  Anybody with a lick of sense understands this is the inevitable result of granting unchecked power to the government.  It must be put to an end. 

Now is the time for people to say enough is enough!  The claims of authority to spy on the people of this country without cause and without a warrant must be abandoned permanently because they are illegitimate and represent a threat to the liberty of the people of the United States.  The outrageous claim that citizens ought to have no means of redress when their Constitutional rights are violated must also be abandoned.  The right of the people to be secure in their private communications must be protected unless there is some reason to suspect illegal activity.  Spying fishing expedtitions where the government is trolling for possibilities is absolutely unacceptable and uncalled for and an invitation for abuse as today's news makes crystal clear. 

The Constitution must no longer be ignored.  It must be honored and the power of the government to spy domestically must be restrained as intended by due process of law and it must also be subject to redress through the courts.  The government cannot and should not be the arbiter of the law and final judge of it's own actions.  That is the power of a police state and it unacceptable in a free society.  Finally, the full weight of the law must be brought to bear on those who would violate it even if they violate it in what they personally believe to be a good cause.  The law must be respected and obeyed by those sworn to enforce it or else it is meaningless.  This is our country.  We need to demand it be run in accordance with our basic law no matter who controls the White House.

Bill Maher interviewed the incomparable Gore Vidal this past week on his show on HBO.  Vidal's wit and brilliance are still there despite his advancing age and obvious physical infirmities (he was in a wheelchair).  Seeing this great man for the first time in a while I decided to do a little surfing on the net and found a great quote from Vidal from the 70's that I wanted to share with others here because I think it is something people need to keep in mind. 

We've heard from many in the past couple of years (but especially since the 08 election) who are hoping against hope that the Democrats will come to the rescue of our country at this moment of peril on many fronts and after the long years of the Bush tyranny.  While almost all of us agree that the leadership of Democrats is better than what we've had, Gore's quote reminds us that it is only marginally so unlless the people demand that the Democrats respond to us.  If we are to achieve the sort of changes necessary to get our country back on track, it will require all of us pushing and demanding that the Democrats do what is necessary.  They will not do it on their own or because it is the right thing to do.  Anyone who thinks that would have to be daft.  As Gore makes clear in the quote, they will only do it when forced.

Given the government's several trillion dollar bipartisan welfare program for the banks and Wall Street the quote is particularly apt today.

"There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit stupider, more rigid, more doctrinaire in their laissez-faire capitalism than the Democrats, who are cuter, prettier, a bit more corrupt--until recently... and more willing than the Republicans to make small adjustments when the poor, the black, the anti-imperialists get out of hand. But, essentially, there is no difference between the two parties."