Legal Commentary

Obama's National Security Speech

By Big Tent Democrat

The speech:

Text of the President's speech here More . . .

I found President Obama's discussion of the different categories of detainees pretty good. In the end, he is accepting a Geneva Convention based prisoner of war regime as his "preventive detention policy." Overall, I am somewhat encouraged by the speech on this point. "Make no mistake," President Obama stands in opposition to a Truth Commission.

Funniest line of the speech - "I ran for President promising transparency, and I meant what I said. That is why, whenever possible, we will make information available to the American people so that they can make informed judgments and hold us accountable." Hell, Bush and Cheney could have said that.

Overall, I thought it was an encouraging speech with some serious flaws. Dick Cheney provides the rebuttal.

Dick Cheney's frightened response. Cheney calls for "a truthful telling of history." Here is a truth - Cheney is a depraved monster who did immeasurable damage to the country. It is a stain on this country that he ever held high office. BTW, Cheney's willingness to be the face of torture and the GOP is great news for Democrats. This Cheney speech is a tour de force in its genre of paranoia, defensiveness, mendacity and cluelessness. Cheney will not go away, and Obama exults about that.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on May 21, 2009 (boomark / email).