Obama and the continuation of Bush policy

by Jay McDonough

Just over a month ago, I was (perhaps, unrealistically) optimistic the Obama inauguration would bring wholesale change to the way the next Executive Branch would do business.  Not just abandoned, but repudiated, would be the gross overreach of the Bush Administration; the efforts to curtail civil liberties, the endorsement of torture, the warrantless surveillance, the lack of accountability and, most of all, the whole "frankly, we don't give a crap what you think" vibe the Administration regularly displayed.

But it now seems all that optimism wasn't warranted.  There have now been, since the inauguration, several instances where the Obama Administration seem to not only be adhering to some of the more egregious Bush Administration policies but, in fact, endorsing the Bush Administration's obstruction of justice.

Some examples:

  -  The Obama Administrations decision to withold information in the case of tortured detainee, Binyam Mohamed, citing the "state secrets' privilege. 

  -  The continuation of the Bush Administration Afghanistan and Pakistan policies.

  -  The Administrations efforts to dismiss lawsuits aimed at forcing the release of Bush era emails.

  -  President Obama's support for Bush Administration position on detainee rights at Bagram prison in Afghanistan.

  -  New CIA Director Leon Panetta's ambiguity over the Administrations policy on rendition and CIA interrogation rules.

  -  Supporting the Bush Administrations position and asking a federal judge to set aside a ruling the president can bypass Congress to set up warrantless eavesdropping on Americans.

In the best case, all of this is indicative of a new administration, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of trouble they've inherited and offering up what they consider to be temporary patches on thorny problems they'll address when they get some breathing room.   And, putting this into some perspective, Crooks and Liars has a list of all the worthy Obama Administration accomplishments in the first month.

But, in the worst case, these are ominous signs the new administration plans to continue some of the Bush Administration's more egregious policies.  Policies that are not transparent, but opaque and dark.  Policies rooted in cynicism and disregard for the rule of law.

Dear God, please let it be the former. 

Comments

[powerofO!]

You forgot a few. For instance, over the weekend the Obama administration said that Gitmo now conforms with the Geneva conventions. And just like that, it does! So don't worry, everything is better now!