There is ample evidence of complicity by many social elites in the crimes of this administration. I am very worried that the same dynamic is at work with Obama now. When Obama voted for FISA and the Bailout, to name two, he grabbed a great deal of executive power, not just for Bush, but for himself (at least potentially). Many people seem to have projected their own best ideals on to Obama while ignoring important anti-democratic actions on his part.

This causes me fear becuase Obama has the clear message from both our elites and many of the rest of us that he need not be accountable for his actions. No president, not Bush, not Obama, should ever be in that position. Everyone, elite or otherwise needs to hold our leaders to account, to our Constitution. If we don't hold to our conscience now, we are lost.

Right now bipartisanship a form of captiulation to wrongdoing. Why? Where is bipartisan outrage to the abuse of people and our Constitution? A person of any party who had a conscience should be willing to stop the abuses taking place in this nation. I would hope both Democrats and Republicans WOULD work together on this task.

I think many things came together to convince liberals that Obama was/is a left wing movement leader. His campaign was a masterful piece of "branding loyalty" adopted from some the best corporate marketing campaigns. The point of these (and his) campaigns is to make the consumer/voter feel like they are a part of the brand when, in reality, the "being part of" only goes one way. There is also the "Hello Kitty" effect. This product was designed to allow the projection of the consumers feelings/desires onto the product. The projection of the left's hopes/desires onto Obama was quite noticable. I believe the projection came about due to the dire situation of our country under eight years of complete lawlessness coupled with the utter dangerousness of the McCain/Palin ticket. Many people were desperately looking for someone who would make things right, not realizing that making things right must be done by many of us acting together and cannot realistically be fulfilled by a president/dictator-like-figure in the White House. There was collusion between the leader and his followers, then and now.

"By all means, wait to judge Obama based on his decisions and policies, not who he appoints to administer them." I don't understand how appointments aren't examples of decisions. It's true they aren't policies, but they are indicative of which directions policies will most likely take. Obama said he wanted many strong voices in place but there aren't really opposing voices in the group. I don't think these picks look very promising for truly addressing the many dire problems that confront this nation. I also think, if you really look into what Obama said/did during the past, these picks make sense. He has always been a center-right politician and these choices confirm his orientation.

Tom was on Diane Rehm yesterday and repeted the same thing about those "evildoers" liberal bloggers. Worse either he or his BFF Mike Hirsh of Nesweek gave the following glowing account of our nations' economic meltdown.

To the effect, "The good news is that people can't find jobs so enlistment is up" (not an exact quote and I don't know which of them said it as I don't have the transcript). Glad to know the ruling elite sees the positive in the desperation of the hoi polloi, who can now more easily be tracked into fighting an unlawful war. If they're killed, wounded or get PTSD, who cares? These people are depraved and reprehensible. Lying is just one thing Tom does so well.

While I certainly think it makes no sense to argue that lack of prosecution is the best deterence to crime, the more important point to me is:

"In a government of law, the existence of the government will be imperiled if it fails to observe the law scrupulously."

The very fabric of our society is in shreds precisely because our "justice" system will not enforce the law against lawbreakers who are powerful. Whether you look at the financial breakdown or the horrifying actions of this govt. in invading a foreign country under false pretenses, torturing prisoners and spying on our citizens--it is the lack any accountability for these actions that allow all these actions to continue. As they continue they further deteriorate every aspect of civil society.

If we hope to restore a functional democracy we must have a functional democracy. That means, for one, holding the perpetrators of these heinous crimes accountable to the rule of law. There isn't another way to do this.

Yes, I heard that on TOTN yesterday afternoon. What is this a management training seminar? Can't let go? Hmmm, you mean like we did at Nuremberg? Those crazy Americans insisting that other country's leaders be held accountable for their war crimes. Now it's us, and our problem isn't that crimes should be investigated. No it's "we just can't let it go". How very New Age!

"The same people who cheered on the radical policies of the last eight years are now pressuring Obama to fill in those gaps by continuing the same policies," ... that's one half of the problem. The other half is supporters refuse to hold Obama accountable to our Constitution. GWB got away with everything he did, not just because there were bad people who actively participated in promoting his agenda. Good people promoted unjust and illegal policies because they believed in "their president" as a great leader. The same is happening with Obama. Good people are ceeding their conscience to the new "great leader", "god's servant", "our president", Obama. This is dangerous and has no place in a govt. of the people.