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February 16th, 2009:

A Second Look: DN!: Human Rights Watch

Feb 16th, 2009
by Tom.
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Democracy Now! wrote:

Human Rights Watch’s Kenneth Roth on Obama’s Use of State Secrets

From: Democracy Now! [outreach@democracynow.org]
Sent: Monday, February 16, 2009 12:15 PM
To: Democracy Now! Daily Digest
Subject: DN!: //Human Rights Watch//

Kenneth Roth, executive director at Human Rights Watch, criticizes Obama for continuing a Bush administration policy of invoking “state secrets” to dismiss a lawsuit accusing a Boeing subsidiary of helping the CIA secretly transport prisoners to torture chambers overseas. Roth also addresses criticism of Human Rights Watch’s reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Amy Goodman, Anchor of Democracy Now!

Has anyone at Democracy Now! ever considered that there may actually be some state secrets involved and the Obama administration is trying to safeguard those secrets? Human Rights Watch is a worthy organization, but there should be some reporting from the other side here just for balance. I get tired of Obama being attacked from the left.

The following is from an article from the Los Angeles Times, February 10, 2009:

A Justice Department attorney, Douglas Letter, told the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that the Obama administration was taking “exactly” the same position as the previous White House in calling for dismissal of a lawsuit by five terrorism suspects snatched by U.S. agents in foreign countries and delivered to secret detention sites in other countries.

The case was “thoroughly vetted with the appropriate officials of the new administration,” said Letter, who represented the Bush administration’s opposition to the lawsuit as well. Letter said the judges would understand the government’s stance once they read a classified affidavit explaining its claim of state secrets privilege.

See? The judges will understand once they read the affidavit. They cannot make the affidavit public, so all the foot stomping and whining by the Human Rights Watch and the ACLU is for naught. They can continue to monitor the case, but without a needless lawsuit.

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A Second Look: Liberals not pleased with go-slow approach by Obama – Los Angeles Times

Feb 16th, 2009
by Tom.
No comments yet

via Liberals not pleased with go-slow approach by Obama – Los Angeles Times.

Activists recall his promises as a candidate and express frustration at his equivocation as president. They cite stem cell research and the detainee policy as examples.

By Peter Wallsten
February 16, 2009

Reporting from Washington — Slowly over the last few weeks, some of Barack Obama’s most fervent supporters have come to an unhappy realization: The candidate who they thought was squarely on their side in policy fights is now a president who needs cajoling and persuading.

These “fervent supporters” are more like fervent complainers. The article hashes out issue by issue  how some progressives and organizations are frustrated that Obama has been too slow for their taste, or has seemingly moved to the center on their pet issue.

Policies differ on many issues

What the article leaves out entirely, consequently ignoring the real truth of the matter, is the other side’s views. Just think how the issue of allowing government funds to research stem cells would be going if John McCain had been elected.

The next truth here is that the article seems to be written to cause trouble. The article clearly wants to draw yet another dividing line somewhere between Obama, his supporters, and the progressive fringe. This adds fuel to the fire of division and partisanship, exacerbating an already difficult situation facing President Obama. The main stream media must help this country heal, not pour salt in the wound – that’s torture.

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