Obama closes Gitmo, CIA black sites

All I can say is - wow. He didn't waste any time.

I have been trying (ever since I heard,) to find words to express my relief... that we have a real president again. And to express my relief that he is an honorable and moral man; that he represents our wishes as citizens, and that he will defend and restore our ideals as Americans.

We have redeemed ourselves. Its going to take a very long time to clean up the mess, but I think we're on our way.

Thank you President Obama.

Guantanamo lawyers challenge constitutionality of FISA bill

Because you see... the fourth amendment really is worth fighting for.

From Think Progress:

Yesterday, lawyers for Guantanamo Bay detainees asked a federal judge in San Francisco to invalidate the recently-passed FISA law that lets the Bush administration conduct warrantless surveillance on suspected terrorists without first getting court-approved warrants.

"We are asking your honor, as swiftly as possible, to declare this statute unconstitutional,” said Michael Avery, a lawyer for the Center for Constitutional Rights. … “Neither Congress nor the president has the power to repeal the Fourth Amendment’s warrant requirements,"Avery said.

In CCR v. Bush, the lawyers argue that the government’s surveillance program is jeopardizing their ability to represent their clients, all detainees at Guantanamo. The Center for Constitutional Rights reports that they have made thousands of telephone calls and sent many e-mails to people outside the United States in the course of their clients' representation - and that all are now subject to warrantless spying:

The Center writes, “Given that the government has accused many of CCR’s overseas clients of being associated with Al Qaeda or of being of interest to the 9/11 investigation, there is little question that these attorneys fall within the likely range of victims of the NSA Surveillance Program.” CCR Executive Director Vincent Warren said:

It is virtually certain that the NSA spied on our confidential communications with our clients as well as conversations with other American attorneys outside of the U.S. The president violated his oath of office to faithfully execute the laws of this nation and instead secretly broke the law for years to spy on Americans. He has taken an axe to the Constitution.

Will the Constitution and the good lawyers win out against the awe-wielding president and his Congressional enablers? Is the presiding judge still a 'real judge,' or another RNC partisan operative? Film at 11! New information coming into the Situation Room all the time! (Well, I'm guessing this won't be one of the 'breaking items' they will be covering... it's too close to real news.)

Whither the rule of law in the good Ol' USA?

Will Bush close Gitmo today?

This from the Washington Note:

It is rumored that tomorrow during a "Principals Meeting", the administration will decide to shut down the Guantanamo military detention facility and transfer prisoners there into the American legal system.

I have not received confirmation that this is the case, but it sounds like this could be another important example of President Bush tacking towards the consensus neo-realist position of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of Defense Bob Gates, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell, CIA Director Mike Hayden, and White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten. State Department Elders John Negroponte, R. Nicholas Burns, and John Bellinger have also played vital roles in this transition of policy away from pugnacious, anti-international Cheneyism.

I guess we'll know more tomorrow... er today. Later today.

Argh. Further down: "Cheney-legs."

Update: I have just spoken with a senior administration acquaintance "who would not confirm or deny" that there would be the Principals Meeting tomorrow described above -- but who made it clear that the press is reporting that some in the administration are saying that the meeting has been cancelled. Cheneyism still has some serious legs perhaps.