Barack Obama Supports Unitary Executive Powers

The last time we spoke, I was writing about how it might be useful to attend the inauguration of Barack Obama by participating in a pro-Constitution demonstration along the parade route. Well, you know what happened? Almost no one showed up for that demonstration.

Americans were too busy cheering and weeping about how Barack Obama was bringing change to bother to support the Constitution… or to pay attention to the details.

Barack Obama seems to have interpreted that fawning adulation as permission to do whatever the hell he wants. President Obama is rapidly turning into another President George W. Bush.

Think I’m exaggerating? President Obama has over a dozen lobbyists working in his White House, though he promised to have none. Obama is keeping George W. Bush’s Big Brother spying programs under the FISA Amendments Act and Patriot Act going. He’s expanding the “faith-based” religious government kickback scheme. He’s working to keep Bush’s torture secrets secret.

President Obama is claiming the power of the Unitary Executive, just like George W. Bush did. Don’t know what a Unitary Executive is? Let me translate that phrase for you: It means dictator.

Yesterday, Barack Obama sent his White House lawyers out to make the argument that the President has the right to stop a lawsuit from proceeding merely by claiming that the lawsuit would expose “state secrets”. Does the President have to present any evidence that state secrets would be exposed? No, says President Obama. He says that the President just has to make a declaration, and then the lawsuit stops.

The context of this case is torture by the U.S. government. 5 plaintiffs are filing suit because they were kidnapped by the U.S. government and tortured. They want justice. Barack Obama says they will get none, because he wants to preserve “state secrets” related to their torture.

Is this what America had in mind when it throbbed with joy during the 2009 Inauguration?

Splash cold water on your face, America and wake up. Barack Obama is not who you thought he was.