In stark legal turnaround, Obama now resembles Bush

[babsbunny]

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/70383.html

By Michael Doyle | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is morphing into George W. Bush, as administration attorneys repeatedly adopt the executive-authority and national-security rationales that their Republican predecessors preferred.

In courtroom battles and freedom-of-information fights from Washington, D.C., to California, Obama's legal arguments repeatedly mirror Bush's: White House turf is to be protected, secrets must be retained and dire warnings are wielded as weapons.

"It's putting up a veritable wall around the White House, and it's so at odds with Obama's campaign commitment to more open government," said Anne Weismann, chief counsel for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a legal watchdog group.

[Stardust]

1. When Obama said "Enough!" during the campaign, I wonder what he was referring to?!? n/t

[TexasObserver]

4. It's the fierce urgency of "oh, what the hell!"

We did win, didn't we?!

[Old Codger]

2. Actually

I had High hopes but was pretty pessimistic, I didn't really expect them to give up any of the powers that * and his regime got for the presidency, I have never seen any president cede any power of any sort and didn't really expect this one to do so either, was prepared to be pleasantly surprised...

[TexasObserver]

3. We've gone from "Hope" to "Help!"

I can tolerate his equivocations on some matters, but more and more, he's simply coming across as a man without deeply held convictions about anything except not ruffling the feathers of Republicans who opposed his election.

[MarjorieG]

5. Curious how much involvement Holder, Obama, have in any decision, or Bush holdovers, others?

And I do think responsibility to protect gov't vulnerability an liability makes for uncomfortable decisions.

[theoldman]

6. I am so sorry that President Obama is not perfect.

When I voted for him I expected him to solve all of our problems in 100 days. I thought he would make all of his decisions exactly the same way I would. It turns out that I only agree with him about 80% of the time. I guess I will go in a corner and cry in my beer like some other people. Oh by the way, I believe everything I read in the news.

[sisters6]

7. He makes the Repugs smile.