Why did closing Gitmo have a higher priority than stopping spying on Americans?

[ThomWV]

Tell me why there wasn't a Presidential Order to the intelligence Agencies instructing them to immediately cease any and all electronic eavesdropping using any facility in the United States without a warrant.

[stray cat]

1. Congress passed a law legalizing aspects of it - we are now probably following the new laws

[ixion]

3. passing a law doesn't make it constitutional

the unPATRIOTic act is a prime example.

If Obama wants to restore the Constitution, ending warrantless spying would be a great place to start.

[Fireweed247]

14. exactly-it is still illegal

The Constitution is the law of the land, the US Congress broke the law by attempting to make it legal retroactively.

The way things are going, I think Obama might work on this soon :fistbump:

And we need to work on firing the US Congress!

[WilliamPitt]

2. He wanted to make sure you were disappointed right out of the gate.

;)

[DCKit]

4. They need to unravel it before they can understand the complexities.

However, the concept is unConstitutional, so, yeah, it should just go.

[MadHound]

5. What makes you think that the spying is going to stop?

After all, it was further expanded under Clinton (look up the FBI's Carnivore program), and in fact illegal, illegit surveillance of the masses has been going on for years and decades in a bipartisan effort. The only things that have changed are the technology and the number of people that can be watched.

Obama has already stated that ending this is a low priority item(heard that either on KO or Rachel last night). I'm interpreting that to mean that he's going to do very little than some sort of cosmetic change. After all, the Dems have been chomping at the bit to play with all these new Executive Branch powers for years now, what makes you think that they'll voluntarily give them up now that they're in power?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

6. Blah Blah Blah Blah Snorrrrrrrrrrre

:boring:

[azul]

7. Do PO's have to be made public?

Especially regarding secret agencies and clandestine operations.

Maybe he did sign one first, and kept it under his hat. Haven't secret presidential orders presumably been pioneered into all kinds of new territory by Junior without challenge?

Maybe secret PO's scope can be a test of the checks and balances remaining after the 43 fiasco?

[Smith_3]

8. Because Obama doesn't "put America first".

:eyes:

[northernlights]

9. because while spying on you hurts you in principal

"disappearing," imprisoning and torturing somebody hurts them in fact.

[dana_b]

21. amen!

stop the physical brutality first - then go to the root.

[OneBlueSky]

10. closing Gitmo is a very visible act . . . stopping spying isn't . . .

I think Obama wants to do some very visible things right off the bat . . . so far, so good, imo . . .

[terisan]

11. Because Obama intends to continue spying on Americans.

[Fleshdancer]

12. It might have to do with that whole crime against humanity thing

but I can't say for sure. Seems like a good way to let the world know you're serious about not being a douche like the last President. :shrug:

[gratuitous]

13. He didn't fly down and rescue that kitten in the tree, either

Well, I'd say this administration is a fraud and a failure. While it may be too early to talk about impeachment, nevertheless . . .

[gollygee]

15. There's so much to be done

I wouldn't assume that they're being done down a list of priorities. There's so much to be done it might be that he's taking care of things that are easy to be un-done right away, and at the same time working on how to un-do the harder ones.

[Fireweed247]

16. Did Obama say anything about the recent revelations on Olberman?

Maybe we should start a DU campaign to let Obama know about this.

[WillieW]

17. Criticism already? One thing at a time please.. He is doing a great job!

[Iggo]

18. Because we can stop torture faster than we can stop spying.

Give the man more than a week, why don't you?

[L. Coyote]

19. Presumedly, it stopped. Plus, the AG is being blocked by the Junta co-conspirators in the Senate.

[RB TexLa]

20. Because one is of greater significance than if someone records me asking my wife to pick up onions

at the store.