You think we were alarmists, overstating the case, those of us who spent the last eight years waving our arms wildly trying to draw attention to the fact that the Bush Administration considered itself above and beyond the law?
Seven newly released memos from the Bush Justice Department reveal a concerted strategy to cloak the President with power to override the Constitution. The memos provide “legal” rationales for the President to suspend freedom of speech and press; order warrantless searches and seizures, including wiretaps of U.S. citizens; lock up U.S. citizens indefinitely in the United States without criminal charges; send suspected terrorists to other countries where they will likely be tortured; and unilaterally abrogate treaties. According to the reasoning in the memos, Congress has no role to check and balance the executive. That is the definition of a police state.
Who wrote these memos? All but one were crafted in whole or in part by the infamous John Yoo and Jay Bybee, authors of the so-called “torture memos” that redefined torture much more narrowly than the U.S. definition of torture, and counseled the President how to torture and get away with it. In one memo, Yoo said the Justice Department would not enforce U.S. laws against torture, assault, maiming and stalking, in the detention and interrogation of enemy combatants.
Olbermann quoted somebody last night, I think Scott Horton, to the effect that while we did not fully realize it at the time, we were effectively living in a dictatorship from 2001 through Jan. 20, 2009.
Meanwhile, Crazy Glenn Beck is suddenly very very concerned about government overreaching its power. Doesn’t everyone understand? he implores. This isn’t about Republicans or Democrats — it’s about our founding principles!
You’re eight years late to the party, CGB.