In 2007, presidential candidate Barack Obama touted himself as the savior who would reverse what he depicted as an unconstitutional spy state.
Obama promised "no more illegal wiretapping of American citizens. No more national security letters to spy on citizens who are not suspected of a crime. No more tracking citizens" who merely protest a war.
The pre-presidency Obama charged that the Bush administration "acts like violating civil liberties is the way to enhance our security." But it didn't take long at all for the new president to learn to love the Bush surveillance practices so much that he put them on steroids.
About six months into Obama's first term, Attorney General Eric Holder endorsed domestic surveillance powers well beyond what candidate Obama deplored, Britain's Guardian newspaper reported last week…
This is an administration whose IRS harasses political opponents, and whose attorney general spies on reporters. It can't expect us to believe it embraced broad domestic surveillance powers — against Obama's fervent campaign stances — for purposes of national security.
