List of Anti-Transparency Actions by The Obama Administration.

Today, Glen Greenwald posted a list of Obama Administration actions that directly contradict his repeated campaign promises to run a transparent government. Worse, Obama's refusal to investigate Bush's and Cheney's torture program is manifestly illegal pursuant to the Convention on Torture ("COT"). The United States Senate ratified the COT in 1994 and we are legally obligated - by our own constitution - to comply with its mandatory requirements to investigate and prosecute torture. Moreover, Obama's cover-up of other Bush administration criminality is equally inexcusable and unlawful. It would be one thing simply to ignore his obligations to prosecute crime. But to actively use his constitutional powers to conceal it from judicial review is obscene.

And what does it say about the state of our mainstream media that reporters have yet to confront Obama on the illegality of his refusal to investigate admitted and well documented acts of torture? Are we living in a genuine democracy or a corporate oligarchy?

What I find so troubling is that the political discourse in this country is no longer about what kind of America to have (conservative or liberal). It is instead about whether we should have an America at all? There is no America without the rule of law. There is no America without a limited executive. Obama can have all the good intentions he wants, but if he ignores our law with impunity and uses his powers to hide Bush administration criminality, and we let him get away with it, then we do not live in the same America that patriots have been willing to fight and die for. Its that simple.

It staggers the mind to survey the damage the Bush administration did to the nation. But the greatest damage his administration did was to the very idea of what America is. It staggers the mind even more to acknowledge that most Americans don't see the damage. Yes, they voted the Republicans out of office, so they knew something was wrong. But there has yet to be significant pressure brought to bear on Obama to act in accordance with American values and law. If that doesn't emerge, then Bush will have changed "America" beyond recognition.

By the way, I don't have the time or energy to do the kind of archiving work that Greenwald (or his assistant) has done. But it is very useful to have it available.

One of the reasons I blog is that I think being online and sharing information is the best way for ordinary citizens to pressure public officials to fulfill their legal and constitutional obligations. I know this blog isn't widely read, but I hope the information readers find here spreads out to others and has the multiplier effect that can only be achieved (by an ordinary citizen) online.

Joe H.