and tomorrow he is going to Italy and all these European Politicians are going to look at him with a lot of empathy because he comes with a pisspoor bill against climate change - and

HEY!!!! - It just hailed again for 15 minutes and 3 weeks ago it nearly washed away Northern Italy - AND we NEED Northern Italy - and sorry if OUR empathy for all the troubles with Obamas justice system get slowly washed away too - And because I'm a terrible spoiled American I now -

FIRST! - want my summers back even if I live in Germany - and I don't want to hear anymore that the big O couldn't come up with a better climate bill because in the homeland there is this funny dance going on, where reactionaries and progressive - right and left - wise and stupid more and more canceling each other out - until the whole country will have turned into California and the only job of this so called President will be - constantly counting how much votes he got to pass this or that watered down bill! - (and he even might forget how old his wife is!)

And what does all of this have to do with Obamas justice system?

You know - He seems to think, that he is now the President of ALL Americans - even of somebody like this weird ombudsman -

But with this State of mind you never pass a decent climate bill!

You never get a decent health-care-plan!

You never punish the evildoers or fix the justice system! So USE the time while he is over here in Europe -

Throw out all the idiots -

Throw out 5 judges of the Supreme Court and all Republican Senators and when the big O comes back to the homeland he finally will know again how old his daughter is!

That would be The Quiet American, Quiet not Ugly. It's a 1955 novel by Graham Greene (that has been filmed twice) about an "idealistic" Princeton graduate, now working for the CIA, who, during the last days of French rule in Indochina, helps spread democracy by supporting the power bid of a pro-USA terrorist group.

"Many of us were convinced that he would be very different from his predecessor in matters of civil liberties. He is not."..blue meme

You speak of 'civil liberties in relation to GITMo as if these detainees were citizens of this nation or any other nation which afforded 'civil liberties' to their citizens. They are not.

After all 'civil' is relating to, or benefiting a citizen or citizens. Civil liberties in this nation relates to the fundamental individual rights, such as freedom of speech and religion, protected by law against unwarranted governmental or other interference of U.S. citizens. Therefore Blue and others how do the prisoners in GITMO relate to our civil liberties or the civil liberties of any other 'citizen' of this nation? Have have your civil liberties been denied?

Glenn dismisses the fact that Obama inherited GITMO, and denies not all these cases are similar. Yes, some detainees cannot be tried. Are you suggesting Obama could issue an order to free all detainees, and let them figure out how to get home. Problem is many of the countries where these detainees have citizenship won't allow them back in the country.

Do you suggest letting the loose in the U.S. Of course that would mean they would have to apply for a green card or asylum...good luck with that.

What's your solution Glenn? Criticism needs to be followed with solutions, and one 'rule of law' solution does not fit all detainees.

The accusation that Obama may continue Bush's policies by holding NEW detentions in GITMO is outrageous.

In her blog, Austrian journalist Jane Burgmeister recently highlighted this admonishment to the press corps given by Kennedy. What would today's press corps make of it? (Come to think of it, someone should read it to Obama as well....)

President John F. Kennedy gave a speech on April 27, 1961 before the American Newspaper Publishers Association in which he stressed the responsibility of the press for allowing the crimes of this interntional corporate syndicate to occur.

“The very word “secrecy” is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it. Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society by imitating its arbitrary restrictions. Even today, there is little value in insuring the survival of our nation if our traditions do not survive with it. And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment. That I do not intend to permit to the extent that it is in my control. And no official of my Administration, whether his rank is high or low, civilian or military, should interpret my words here tonight as an excuse to censor the news, to stifle dissent, to cover up our mistakes or to withhold from the press and the public the facts they deserve to know.

“For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence–on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerrillas by night instead of armies by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations.

"Its preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed.

“No President should fear public scrutiny of his program. For from that scrutiny comes understanding; and from that understanding comes support or opposition. And both are necessary. I am not asking your newspapers to support the Administration, but I am asking your help in the tremendous task of informing and alerting the American people. For I have complete confidence in the response and dedication of our citizens whenever they are fully informed.

"I not only could not stifle controversy among your readers– I welcome it. This Administration intends to be candid about its errors; for as a wise man once said: “An error does not become a mistake until you refuse to correct it.” We intend to accept full responsibility for our errors; and we expect you to point them out when we miss them.

"Without debate, without criticism, no Administration and no country can succeed– and no republic can survive. That is why the Athenian lawmaker Solon decreed it a crime for any citizen to shrink from controversy. And that is why our press was protected by the First (emphasized) Amendment– the only business in America specifically protected by the Constitution– not primarily to amuse and entertain, not to emphasize the trivial and sentimental, not to simply “give the public what it wants”–but to inform, to arouse, to reflect, to state our dangers and our opportunities, to indicate our crises and our choices, to lead, mold educate and sometimes even anger public opinion.

"This means greater coverage and analysis of international news– for it is no longer far away and foreign but close at hand and local. It means greater attention to improved understanding of the news as well as improved transmission. And it means, finally, that government at all levels, must meet its obligation to provide you with the fullest possible information outside the narrowest limits of national security…”