And his article is framed not as a legal argument, but a partisan argument. He says that now that Cheney has dared to attack his precious party and his precious president, retribution must be swift. The irony about receiving more Establishment support is that the more Democratic insiders continue to come out of the closet as "Hard Leftists", the more our little movement will be perceived as partisan. Now this is of course inevitable; of course the only way to win is to get more and more support from Democratic insiders, but those insiders won't understand what it is we want. They'll write stupid op-eds reframing the debate in a partisan manner (the only way they know how) and they'll probably screw it all up. Plus, we needed Obama to be neutral on Bush lawbreaking, not actively covering it up. That's why I'm more pessimistic each day.

About the part of Obama's speech that homeruk highlights:

"Having said that, we must recognize that these detention policies cannot be unbounded. They can't be based simply on what I or the executive branch decide alone. That's why my administration has begun to reshape the standards that apply to ensure that they are in line with the rule of law. We must have clear, defensible, and lawful standards for those who fall into this category. We must have fair procedures so that we don't make mistakes. We must have a thorough process of periodic review, so that any prolonged detention is carefully evaluated and justified."

In other words, Obama wants a trial. Only, he wants a trial in which the following are against the law: any type of association with terrorists whatsoever, certain types of hate speech, or perhaps vows to seek revenge on the U.S. government for wrongful imprisonment.

The first black president may not have signed the first preventative detention law, but he is definitely seeking the power to indefinitely detain. Frankly, he already has it. He inherited it, and he defends it. So let's repeat that, and let's dwell on it for at least five seconds before going back to our soul-destroying lives as Americans living in a post-Bush dystopia. The first black president of the United States of America, 144 years after the end of slavery and 45 years after the Civil Rights Act, is defending the power to detain prisoners indefinitely without charges. Additionally, he has defended the power to wiretap whoever he wants without warrant, an intrusion relentlessly applied to Martin Luther King and his associates.

I think Obama has forgotten himself. Perhaps he never knew himself. To know oneself is to know one's history; it is to have roots. Obama's roots are in diversity, equal rights, and commitment to the poor--in other words, liberalism. The lesson of the 2008 Election, if any, was that Obama won because of his roots, not despite them. Obama's base was attracted, among other things, to Obama's rhetoric on restoring the rule of law and civil liberties. The whole meme of "restoring our standing as a world leader" was built on the expectation of a return to the rule of law and civil liberties. Only Beltway Villagers, the parasites that envelope DC like lichen, think that what a candidate says during the Primaries doesn't count. The rest of America would like to hold politicians accountable. Those on the Left, who either believed in Obama or who thought that Obama's rhetoric could at least be used to hold him accountable, should feel depressed, angry, or otherwise betrayed. We surely have enough evidence thus far to look back on Obama's Hope and Change Fest '08 with derision and regard it as a hoax unless and until he starts reversing himself back to his "Primary self".

There are two simple rules that preserve our democratic republic. Republicans are wrong about everything, but at least they seem to understand these two rules: (1) have a platform, and (2) fight tenaciously to implement it. Obama's collapse as a liberal leader is not completely his fault because Democrats are not expected to be liberal leaders. If liberal critics of the Democratic Party are right, then Obama began to lose touch with his roots as soon as he got involved in Democratic politics.

Let me leave you with some words of inspiration from Pat Buchanan. From his infamous "The Rooted and the Rootless" column: "Rooted people love the things of the heart: God, country, family and faith. The weapons of the mind have been given to us, they believe, to defend the things of the heart. Knowledge follows love; it does not precede it." Say what you will about Pat Buchanan, but the man has passion, and most Democratic leaders do not. If you are a liberal, try substituting some or all of the phrase "God, country, family and faith" in the above quote. What do you believe in? What makes you a rooted person? Demand that your political leaders remain similarly rooted.

Every time anonymity is granted to individuals or organizations who are merely stating opinions or engaging in ad hominem attacks, those opinions or attacks shall be attributed to the granter of anonymity.

The NYT reporters could have been even more slothful and just published an unedited Comey email. Any one would have done, though all three would be preferable. The second one is particularly dramatic, but the third sums up the criminality of the White House nicely.

New rule: Palau is now the land of the free and home of the brave. Additionally, October 1 of every year shall be celebrated as Palau Independence Day, when Palau's Compact of Free Association with the U.S. entered into force, thus ending the cruel reign of Clinton the First.