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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsEric Holder's Greatest Hits
Attorney General Eric Holder: If the President Does It, Its Legal
John W. Whitehead
Attorney, President of The Rutherford Institute, and author of 'A Government of Wolves'
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The military can detain anyone, including American citizens, it deems a threat to the country. Not only has the DOJ persisted in defending a provision of the National Defense Authorization Act that sanctions indefinite detentions of Americans, but it has also blasted the federal judge who ruled the NDAA to be vague and chilling as overstepping the courts authority and infringing on Obamas power to act as Commander in Chief.
Presidential kill lists and drone killings are fine as long as the president thinks someone might have terrorist connections. Holder has gone to great lengths to defend Obamas use of drones to target and kill American citizens, even on U.S. soil, as legally justifiable. In fact, a leaked DOJ memo suggests that the President has the power to murder any American citizen the world over, so long as he has a feeling that they might, at some point in the future, pose a threat to the United States.
The federal government has the right to seize the private propertycash, real estate, cars and other assetsof those suspected of being connected to criminal activity, whether or not the suspect is actually guilty. The government actually collects billions of dollars every year through this asset-forfeiture system, which it frequently divvies up with local law enforcement officials, a practice fully supported by the DOJ and a clear incentive for the government to carry out more of these takings.
Warrantless electronic surveillance of Americans telephone, email and Facebook accounts is not only permissible but legal. According to court documents, more Americans have had their electronic communications spied on as a result of DOJ orders for phone, email and Internet information40,000 people alone in 2011and that doesnt even begin to take into account agencies outside Holders purview, terrorism investigations or requests by state and local law enforcement officials.
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Much, much more at link, including:
* Judicial review is far from necessary.
* Due process and judicial process are not the same.
* Government whistleblowers will be bankrupted, blacklisted, blackballed and in some cases
banished.* Government transparency is important unless government officials are busy,
can stonewall, redact, obfuscate or lie about the details,
are able to make the case that they are exempt from disclosure
or that it interferes with national security.* When it comes to Wall Street, justice is not blind.
* Not all suspects should have the right to remain silent.
Defense and expansion of the most malignant of Bush policies, and broad assaults on the very foundations of our democratic system.
SomethingFishy
(4,876 posts)Pretty impressive for such a "decent and dignified" man...
truedelphi
(32,324 posts)people of color .
Yet some people here feel he is on a par with Martin Luther King Jr in terms of civil rights.
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)What a thoroughly revolting list.
leftstreet
(36,106 posts)DURec
pkdu
(3,977 posts)oligarchy gif .
Obama chuckling with Cheney , Bush etc... Give me a fuckin break.
Roland99
(53,342 posts)Geithner (from the Fed and who was a protege of Rubin, a Citigroup exec who made BANK - no pun intended - and who worked at Kissinger Associates)
Stefan Selig - executive vice chairman of global corporate and investment banking at Bank of America
Larry Summers - another Rubin protege and instrumental in dismantling Glass-Steagall under Clinton admin
Gene Sperling - Same as Larry Summers
Jeffrey Zients - worked at Bain at one point
Jack Lew - COO of the division that collapsed Citigroup
And a smattering of other BofA execs.
And Wall St breathed a sigh of relief after Obama tossed aside top progressive advisors when naming his top posts:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/oral-history/financial-crisis/tags/obamas-economic-team/#theme5
cui bono
(19,926 posts)Or you did and you just can't stand to see criticism of an Obama appointee so you now attempt to deflect and attack the messenger. Right wing tactic employed... Check.
Give me a fuckin break.
stupidicus
(2,570 posts)let's not forget bombing foreign countries in violation of this and that too
those "legal" rationales for Syria are the kinda stuff only a liar http://consortiumnews.com/2014/09/25/obamas-propagandistic-un-address/ or the hopelessly and stupidly enamored would buy
1dogleft
(164 posts)AG in modern history. Pick and choose what laws you want to uphold while attacking and harassing a small coffee chain in Ma. and many other small businesses
ozone_man
(4,825 posts)Too big to prosecute he said. What a failure.
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)DC is a racket.
Plucketeer
(12,882 posts)Six L O N G years of discouraging justice. "Private Practice" - wonder how many clients will be from Wall St.???
cui bono
(19,926 posts)What were those?
Octafish
(55,745 posts)Then, the person who handled the paperwork, got onto the Supreme Court.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Elena-Kagan--Willing-Acco-by-Michael-Collins-100622-971.html