The realpolitik answer, I think, is that Obama vetoes this, the Republicans whip their base into a frenzy over him being "soft on defense" and "not supporting our troops" and we inaugurate President Gingrich (or whoever) in January 2013. My guess is that Obama figures he can afford to piss off civil libertarians more than he can afford to piss off the independents who like strong defense. (Which is, in my read of it, probably true. Who else are we gonna vote for?) Threatening to veto it was about the only thing he could do.
What somebody who believes in civil liberties can do is an open question. It's becoming increasingly clear to me that the President is not the person who needs to be persuaded, though -- it's our fellow citizens.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2011-12-17 12:17 am (UTC)What somebody who believes in civil liberties can do is an open question. It's becoming increasingly clear to me that the President is not the person who needs to be persuaded, though -- it's our fellow citizens.