"Well, along with his statements on NAFTA and other topics, Obama is sounding too much like a bullshit artist, and a lot less like the inspiring moral voice he was when running for office."

In other news, grass is green. More at eleven.

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But what happened was this:

Last month, Barack, unwilling to make an overall decision about all the detainees in the face of some complicated court cases and other factors like the probable step-up of activity in Afghanistan, formed a task force headed up by the AG and the Secretary of Defense to report to him in detail on our policy with regard to all detainees in all circumstances in six months.

At the same time, the DC judge hearing the habeas cases for four men recently brought to Bagram from elsewhere, gave Obama until yesterday to detail the Administration's legal stance toward the men's petition. The Justice Department's response yesterday was that they would not support the lawsuits filed by relatives on behalf of the men, because doing so would globally affect the legal treatment of these and other prisoners, that the prison at Bagram differs in security concerns for its location in a combat zone, and that The President is unwilling to make many decisions before the task force reports back to him. Here's an article reporting on all that.

The escalation in Afghanistan makes my stomach twist in knots, but at least we'll have the cooperation of Afghan officials and the Pakistani government in ferreting out actual terrorists.

As for the rest, although I'm absolutely ashamed of how these people were detained by the Bush criminals and left to rot without recourse, I see, no I KNOW how complicated the issues are. The modifications to the Constitution which keep these people in prison still exist, and can't really be ignored without legal repercussion (read obstruction by every Republican fuck in Congress).

Before you start the dancing, maybe you could give a nod to the real difficulties involved in the situation, and acknowledge that the words to the effect that the President says prisoners at Bagram have no rights are a bit slanted, and that the last word on the fate of all the detainees hasn't been said.

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I've come to conclude that Democratic voters are perfectly content with lip service from their candidates and office holders. The party elite knows that no matter what, they're not going to lose any yellow-dog Democrat votes. So why actually live up to the myths of progressivism that are trumpeted throughout campaign seasons? It seems to me that the fundamental problem with Democratic voters is that they insist on believing what makes them feel good to believe, regardless of what the facts in front of them are. If a Democratic contender votes along with the GOP agenda, but still maintains the "D" next to his/her name in the general elections, they'll be greeted as a sacred cow.

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President Obama in his inauguration speech said, "What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply." He needs to heed his astute idea.

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Longdream, habeus corpus isn't a complicated issue. It's been around for centuries before the United States became a country, and millions of people who couldn't even read and write understood it perfectly well.

Sure there are real terrorists, but I don't know of any, including Al Quedah and Osama bin Laden, who we didn't at some point recruit, arm, train, or fund, or at the very least, radicalize by invading their country, bombing their city or village, or extraordinarily rendering, torturing, or killing their family, friends, or neighbors.

We're the real terrorists, and Obama was in the Senate, supporting the Bush/Cheney agenda along with most of the other Congressional Democrats, long enough to have figured that out.

Anyone who looked at his voting record instead of listening to his campaign rhetoric, wouldn't have expected any better. But even his campaign rhetoric sent a clear message to anyone who has seriously investigated the questions surrounding 9/11, that nothing was going to change. Only the willfully ignorant could have imagined that someone who was part of the problem, could be part of the solution.

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Obama is right, up to a point. These people are actually prisoners of war, not criminal suspects, and are therefore subject to the Geneva Conventions. They should be treated in accordance with international law, including the recognition that citizens of a country have the legal right to violently resist an occupying force, even if we are that force.

The greatest step Obama could make in foreign affairs would be to acknowledge that we are subject to the laws and standards to which we hold others.

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Looks like with this action, Republicans will have more room to show that they are the true progressives in congress.

Democrats are giving the Republicans every chance they can to let them take over the mantel from the Democrats(of which they only had by default).

Just give the Democrats time to loose their reign as progressives. Chicken-shits don't deserve to be progressives.

Hopefully the Republicans can find that progressive silver lining and take over since these Democrats are too much of pussies.

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.

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But I still Want to Believe... Well, at least in the dream of hope I have clutched to desparately for the past 3 years...

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You say the Airforce base is IN AFGHANISTAN, crimes werre committed in Afghanistan? Mind You Gitmo is American Owned Property and has been for decades, so american Law should be enforced.
But when you are required to hold prisoners (people killing you & those allied with you) because the country you are in has so many factions, you can not assure the guards won't just turn around and let them back out everynight- obviously you need a 'leak proof' retentions center.
Sorry but I see no reason that for every country we operate in, and any person we detain, immediately become legally protected under our Laws is ridiculous. Our Justice sytem and the rights they afford are far more lenient then most.
Heres another instance where the idea that Where you do the Crime determines where You'll do the Time.Stanford should be extradicted To Antigua.yes he swindled americans, but he also swindled Antiguans- Let him be tried and imprisoned in their system. Bet there is no Segregated Pop- Just General Pop accomadations.He'll get The benefit of the Doubt in court- the savviest lawyers, MAYBE a slap on the wrist and be guaranteed preferential treatment of 'protective custody'
Who wouldn't like to see these Financial snake oil dealers face the judicial system of any of these 'off shore' countries, be sentence to far longer and in far worse conditions then those they'd enjoy here.

Besides Walsh is as much a Clinton Cheerleader as hillary's communication Sec Andrea Mitchell. Walsh lost her Dem credential during the Primaries, just another Mouth peice for the BlueDogs (Repugs incognito). Look Up the DLC's 'Third Way' doctrine- Pure Republican before the hostile take over of the Religious right- Corp Whores in blue.Working to stir up shit within the Dem party with BS indigantion. If Blue dogs really gave ashit, they would started this outrage when it began- not now that a NON Blue dog is in the WH.The Clintons are out to destroy Obama (like they helped do to Carter) just like their Repug cohorts.Who signed Gramms Wall streets Free For All "Modernization act", When did the Boom in Off Shore accts start....NAFTA. Come On Obama invited THREE Repugs into his admin.
'Keep you friends close, Your Enemies Closer'
Blue Dogs work to get the Lefts panties in a Twist just like the 'conservatives' work to get the Religious Rights all worked up. Working both sides against the Middle.Think about it- Religious Right and PETA- different concerns,but as wild eye crazy about 'converting' everyone to their way of thinking- Born again Vegatarianism.
They are trying to set your hair on fire, so you'll come running back to the DLC's 'Third Way' or at least vote for Nadar and allow their Repug Buddy to win in '12, like '00 and '04.Duh!
Let's not even talk about the sociopath Savage and his ethics which provokes a man to open fire into a church during a kids recital.

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All I can say is, well, it looks like we will have President Palin (or even worse) in 4 years!

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Well, I am glad that at least Alternet is balancing the pro-Obama propaganda it had been posting lately.

As for Barack Obama, there was his FISA vote.
Then came (not in this order) indefinite detention, "rendition", the "state secret's privilege", and now the continuation of the ILLEGAL and UNCONSITUTIONAL Bush policy of denial of the very basic human-right of habeas corpus. On and on. Tell us what kind of "change" you are bringing to the world, Mr Obama. Please!

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Why are we in Afghanistan in the first place?! Does anyone remember? I think it was to apprehend some CIA asset and business associate of the Bush family we hired to be the figurehead for the events of 9/11, now dead, dead, dead, either from complications from kidney disease or by an assassin as revealed by Benazir Bhutto over a year ago.

Talk about a "cold case", even Bush admitted that "I just don't think about the guy much anymore". Imagine being a citizen of Afghanistan and hearing that the U.S. no longer cares why it invaded your country and wreaked immense chaos and destruction, killing innocent civilians, men, women and children, and making their already tenuous existence that much more unbearable.

And now the smooth-talker and American Idol in office is stepping up the carnage by sending in more troops. But not only that, he is disallowing habeas corpus to supposed "enemy combatants" we captured on their own soil in our sham invasion, meant primarily to shore up our oil interests in the region.

What we are witnessing these days is nothing less than the evisceration of morality itself. Soon the concept will no longer have any meaning whatsoever.

But let's not make the mistake of thinking that Obama runs the country any more than Bush did. Discriminating minds recognized the fact that Bush was a puppet for big money interests (heck, you could see the strings)but now that we have Mr. Suave bump-fist who actually speaks English and appears to be "unleashed" a substantial portion of the populace is hypnotized by the pretty package, just as intended by the puppet-masters.

Oh well, when there's a bust there's a boom somewhere; just think of all the shrinks and the pharmaceutical companies who stand to profit wildly when the illusion is finally shattered and even intelligent people can no longer make excuses for their poster boy.

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glad I didn't vote at all... what's next???

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My god. I've filed favorable comments on behalf of Obama for two days in a row(I did call him scum along with the Bushes and Clintons in a trade related reply to a comment yesterday). But I keep finding things I like; and I'm an old fashioned, pre-Reagan libertarian paleo con. (Look it up, Altermorons, it's not a Bush supporter, duh).

Go Barak. Keep those dirty Muslims dirty. Holder knows these are like the gangbangers in DC he used to prosecute, only much worse.

You don't rehabilitate these vermin. Shooting them would be an excellent, humane alternative to Gitmo or putting them into a US Supermax.

I think most of these tough guys who rock off on the Koran would like a few dozen bullets to lather their way to Paradise, don't you?

Yes We Can!

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after following elections since the 60's I've never seen one politician or especially President that can hold to claims of action re foreign plicy that are so in contrast with prior presidents. It's easy to make campaign promises, to sell ideas and platitudes, it's another when confronted with the facts to actually carry them out.

Say what yu want about bush and gitmo, no one is going to grant American civil rights to terrorists and military prisoners and no one is going to trust American courts to hand out justice!

Well come to the real world President Obma and welcome you YOUR Vietnam!

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.....Obama has barely had a month in office. Second of all, both political parties, Republican and Democratic, believe and subscribe to the theory of the "American Empire," largely gained by intervening in other countries' business; militarily if our politicians and military-industrial complex interests see fit. Many of these countries pose no security threat to the U.S. either. Foreign policy is unlikely to change any time soon regardless of who gets in as long as this view of the American Empire is prevalent among out politicians, and as long as it is supported by our citizens, many with jobs in the bloated "defense" industry. Regardless of what the politicos want you to think, we ARE a militaristic society; moreso than we need to be for the defense of OUR country. Think about it; with all of the money spent on so-called "defense" (largely used to finance whatever toys the military wants, many of which are more appropriate for a Cold War situation, rather than the terrorist threats we now face), with ALL of these billions spent, they could not defend us against guys with box cutters who were willing to hijack our passenger airlines and fly them into the Twin Towers. And it is this mentality that STILL is propelling our foreign policy. It is THIS reason that many countries see us as the PROBLEM rather than the solution.

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The easiest thing to do is read and rely on the chain reaction of complains and passing quick judgments from the comment postings. "You" should not rely on another to be educated, but on yourself to become educated.

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The most glaring problem with Barack Obama to arise during the primaries lay not with the man himself -- a smart, canny, educated politician -- but with the blind adulation of many of his supporters.

It was impossible -- without being assailed -- to suggest to them that more vetting, more questions, more examination was crucial in a campaign by the media mostly aimed at discrediting Hillary Clinton and the GOP.

President Obama is to be congratulated as a sharp, savvy leader who wanted to be president and has gotten there. He is many good things. But is he what we wanted and expected?

Only time will tell.

How sad that those of us who raised questions about his policies, his relative backbone when it would come to overturning all the Bush disasters and his grasp of DC's wiles, were beaten back with the R word. You racist. The cheapest of all silencing techniques.

Actually, my friends, not at all. In fact the worst sort of sexism, racism, classism is that which postulates it's a crime to treat everyone with an expectation of accountability. So many of us seem to prefer the victim scenario, perhaps because identifying victims helps raise our own merit.

Barack Obama is a whiz -- I like him, I think he's captivating. But I never ever thought he should have been handled with kid gloves. He's too bright, too capable, too tough to have been treated with what I consider to be the ultimate mark of disrespect: Hands off due to the accident of race.

He's better than what that coddling implied.

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Before making similar statements again and losing his credibility, Obama should, (1) Sit down with the Pentagon, Llangley and Foggy Bottom 'mafiosi' who, together, have been making and implementing American Foreign Policy for far too long and ask them, "What do each of you want in and from Afghanistan?" Then, (2). He should discuss their answers with all his other 'cabinet' members, his trusted consultants and advisers AND with such members of both houses at Capitol who are not 'obviously' in pay of any Lobbies with 'links' in the Middle East. Finally, (3) He should make his DECISION independently and freely AND in case the said mafiosi and the lobbies make this impossible, he should call a referendum!
This last is the only way in which the US presidency can break loose of the mafiosi and lobby shackles!
Otherwise, bye bye Afghanistan AND bye bye America!

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When a problem seems too complex to solve, you stand back and try to discern the essentials. It seems to me in this case they are:
Does this policy conform with international law?
If your military are at war and captured, do you want them to be treated in accordance with international law?
What is the aim of this policy?
If it is to combat terrorism, is that particular aim fulfilled or are new "terrorists" being created?
If the rationale lies elsewhere, has it been articulated and made subject to public scrutiny?
Does the policy bolster or undermine other diplomatic initiatives?
Does the policy enhance or diminish America's prestige?

If you attempt to answer these questions (and some I haven't thought of), the overall problem may seem less complex.

Incidentally, I remember when Tony Blair first came to power on a wave of hope and disgust with the past, his most passionate supporters manipulated logic and truth for years so as to avoid spotting their idol's feet of clay.

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Forget hope - it's just another shackle to keep you down. America is an empire and Obama is the selected public face of the empire at this stage in history. He was groomed and marketed in a clever enough manner to win a somewhat close victory over a man who may drop dead at any moment accompanied by a VP candidate who would be an embarassment even as mayor of a small town let alone with her finger near the button. The real rulers use the presidency as their puppet to hold the masses down under the guise of democracy and freedom. The Obama (Oba Mama?) difference in style and rhetoric from Bush created the illusion that there was real choice in the election last fall. That illusion simply defies the reality that America is an oligarchic empire ruled by a few people and the money system they worship. No person can become president unless he or she will comply to the wishes of the imperial masters and if a president or presidential candidate does step out of line then he or she will be eliminated. After the scary-sounding wacko Bush the oligarchs offered the soothing voice of Obama in a calculated appeal to keep us subdued. "Don't be scared anymore, just come to mama and she'll tell you everything's going to be alright, you don't have to be afraid anymore." The clever masters use hope as a counterpoint to fear without us realizing that they are two sides of the same coin; the masters treat us as children to be manipulated for their, not our, benefit. Style is not substance and soft words do not make policy. America will continue as an empire for some time plundering and wreaking havoc on the earth and its inhabitants. So, forget hope and accept reality; from there one may begin to dialogue with others and possibly help to avert the worst catastrophes like nuclkear winter and eventually bring down the system that is destroying the fabric of life. Hope exists but the reality is that spring is still a long way off.

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Obama's the Confidence Man. Smooth talking, risk adverse and self serving to a fault. I voted for him (was there a choice?) but had intense reservations when he flat backed on FISA, a no risk political decision to defend the right to privacy for us citizens. The progressive decisions made are no brainers as is the terrorist decision if you believe in due process and the Geneva Accords. Apparently the O Man has learned from Clinton about the definition of "is" regarding peoples rights.

"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." - The Who

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I know it's hard to do, but sometimes the only way to kick the addiction to the owning class kool aid is to go cold turkey.

Yeah, there's nausea, night sweats, the shakes, that perpetual iron-rusty nail taste in your mouth, the thickened tongue, the aching liver but you have to do it.

While I'm horrified that Mr. Hope-Change is showing just how owning class predictable he is, I'm heartened to see at least a few of the former kool-aid-o-holics experiencing a collective gasp. (And yeah, there are still some so hopelessly addicted, even while they wax on how Obama is failing the progressive test--duh--they're so wired to the sauce they still insist he won't do (future tense) what he's already done (past-present)...hoo boy)

When y'all are sober for a while, the Greens are ready to roll. Just keep your damned pro-corporate urges to yerseff (that's for you prog-Dims who got suckered by the Hope).

It's tough for a former slave not to think like a slave anymore. But it can be done. When we get rid of the Hope crap we can actually make the Change we need. And I promise it won't look like a slick Hollywood film, it'll be glitchy and pixelated and the audio will be funky but it'll work.

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How does our constitution have anything to do with what takes place in Afganistan?

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As the man said: "Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss."

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What do you expect from a Blue Dog in sheep's clothing?

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It's time to stop the whining whimpering excuse making for Obama and judge him on his actions. You dupes who continue to believe that the DEMS are so different from the other party of criminals are digging your own graves. One party dresses up a hoods the other saints to accomplish the same mission - to steal everything they can before you dupes wake up. Your liberties are virtually gone and Obama isn't talking about restoring them and thus he is NO different. Wake Up!!!

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Probably not. I don't get the impression that many people commenting on this subject are into something as real as what someone actually said.

Before a joint session of Congress The President of the United States pledged swift justice for the prisoners, and declared unequivocally that the United States of America does not torture. That living our values will not make us weaker, but stronger. That was only a small part of what he said.

You can go back to making things up now.

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