NewsTrust - U.S. Constitution - Most Recent Stories: Opinion (Independent)

More Secrets on Growing State Surveillance: Exclusive Part 2 With NSA Whistleblower, Targeted Hacker

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Democracy Now - By Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzalez - Apr. 23 (Interview) - In part two of our national broadcast exclusive on the growing domestic surveillance state, we speak with National Security Agency whistleblower William Binney, and two targeted Americans: Oscar-nominated filmmaker Laura Poitras, and hacker Jacob Appelbaum, who has volunteered for WikiLeaks and now works with Tor Project, a nonprofit organization that teaches about internet security. Binney left the NSA after the 9/11 attacks over his concerns about the agency’s widespread surveillance of U.S. citizens. He describes how the FBI later raided his home and held him at gunpoint and notes there is still no effective way of monitoring how and what information the NSA is gathering on U.S. citizens, and how that data is being used. "Click here to watch part one of our special report.":democracynow.org/shows/2012/4/20 [Transcript to come. Check back soon.]

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Billionaire Bigot Bankrolling Mitt Romney

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Daily Kos - Feb. 19 (Opinion) - In a column sure to rain lawsuit threats down upon him, Glenn Greenwald exposes many of the scandals surrounding Mitt Romney's national finance co-chair, Idahoan Frank VanderSloot. VanderSloot is a billionaire whose deep pockets have funded no small number of Idaho's political figures. As Greenwald details, his business practices have drawn plenty of unwanted attention, as has his involvement in numerous far-right causes, particularly his anti-gay activism, including running a billboard campaign against Idaho Public Television for running a documentary about teachers talking about lesbian and gay issues in age-appropriate ways. His wife, Belinda, donated $100,000 to California's Prop 8 campaign.

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The Christmas War on Atheism: What's the Religious Right Whining About When It's Really Non-Believers Who Are Under Attack?

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800

AlterNet - By Alex DiBranco - Dec. 23 (Opinion) - It’s that time of year when, if you tune into Fox News or right-wing talk radio, you’re sure to hear the phrase “war on Christmas” repeated ad infinitum. Perhaps you’ve also seen Rick Perry’s new war on Christmas ad, which gives the added gift of rabid homophobia, while absurdly accusing President Barack Obama of leading a war on religion. But in reality, this year, like most years, it's right-wing Christians who are waging a war on the right of non-believers to avoid having religion shoved down their throats. Say “Merry Christmas” -- or Else

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Don't Break the Internet

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800

stanfordlawreview.org - Dec. 19 (Opinion) - Two bills now pending in Congress—the PROTECT IP Act of 2011 (Protect IP) in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House—represent the latest legislative attempts to address a serious global problem: large-scale online copyright and trademark infringement.

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Paramilitary Policing of Occupy Wall Street: Excessive Use of Force Amidst the New Military Urbanism

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Democracy Now - By Juan Gonzalez, Amy Goodman - Nov. 17 (Interview) - We host a discussion on policing and the Occupy Wall Street movement with Chuck Wexler, director of the Police Executive Research Forum, which helped organize calls among police chiefs on how to respond to the Occupy protests, and with Norm Stamper, the former police chief of Seattle, who recently wrote an article for The Nation magazine titled "Paramilitary Policing from Seattle to Occupy Wall Street." "Trust me, the police do not want to be put in this position. And cities really need to ask themselves, is there another way to handle this kind of conflict?"

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Law Professors Come Out Against PROTECT IP

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700

techdirt.com - Jul. 13 (Opinion) - Although the problems the Act attempts to address -- online copyright and trademark infringement -- are serious ones presenting new and difficult enforcement challenges, the approach taken in the Act has grave constitutional infirmities, potentially dangerous consequences for the stability and security of the Internet's addressing system, and will undermine United States foreign policy and strong support of free expression on the Internet around the world.

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Section 4 Of The 14th Amendment Was Designed To Stop Boehner

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700

New Republic - By Jonathan Chait - Jul. 01 (Opinion) - Balkin does not suggest, nor do I, that the legal merits are open and shut. It's certainly risky to take a flyer in the middle of a debt crisis. But if we do reach h-hour, we're probably better off if the Treasury simply announces it's going to continue to pay the bills and dares Republicans to take them to court than repudiating the debt, right?

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Obama Faces Bi-Partisan Opposition for Refusal to Seek Authorization for Libya War

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Democracy Now - By Amy Goodman - Jun. 22 (Interview) - President Barack Obama has overruled top administration lawyers and decided he has the legal authority to continue involvement in the NATO air war in Libya, without congressional approval. Our guest, University of Michigan Professor Juan Cole, who supports the Libya operation, says Obama needs authorization from Congress in order to continue. "Not doing that has damaged the legitimacy of the war in the eyes of the American people," says Cole.

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Object Lesson 9,568 on the Corrupting Effects of Power

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700

sensen-no-sen.blogspot.com - By Pbi - Jun. 19 (Opinion) - By continuing to maintain American military involvement in Libya without the approval of Congress, President Obama is arrogating powers to himself that the foundational laws of this country do not grant him and violating his oath of office.

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The Patent Bill is Unconstitutional

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700

eagleforum.org - By Phyllis Schlafly - Jun. 13 (Opinion) - Seven scholarly law review articles have examined this issue and concluded that first-to-file is unconstitutional. No scholarly review proves otherwise.

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Rand Paul, ... , Calls For Jailing People Who Attend ‘Radical Political Speeches’

Tue, 31 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Think Progress - By Alex Seitz-Wald - May. 31 (Opinion) - Libertarian-leaning Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) made headlines last week for single-handedly obstructing the renewal of the Patriot Act, calling the law an unconstitutional infringement on civil liberties. His demand to insert a series of amendments to weaken the law nearly allowed it to lapse and put the country at “risk,” but Paul said it was worth it to prevent the government from continuing to “blatantly ignor[e] the Constitution.” But when Paul went on Fox News host Sean Hannity’s radio show Friday to discuss his opposition to the national security law, he suggested implementing a far more serious infringement on civil liberties.

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Has Obama Breached His Constitutional Power in Libya?

Mon, 23 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Real Clear Politics - By David Paul Kuhn - May. 23 (Opinion) - Today, Obama and Biden lead an administration engaged in a military conflict without legislative consent. The 1973 War Powers Resolution compels presidents to secure congressional approval within 60 days of U.S. military forces' "imminent involvement" or "introduction" into "hostilities." U.S. operations in Libya violated that deadline on Friday.

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Actions Not Words Show US Middle East Policy

Fri, 20 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700

readersupportednews.org - By Rep. Dennis Kucinich - May. 20 (Opinion) - We all want to be supportive of our President as he attempts to broaden America's positive role in the Middle East and North Africa. But it is important to critically analyze what the President does, not what he says, when it comes to U.S. policy abroad. When the President says '[i]t will be the policy of the United States to promote reform across the region, and to support transitions to democracy,' we must look more carefully at how this policy has been implemented as well as the implications of the actions that have already been taken.

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Sunday's Disqualifiers

Mon, 16 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700

American Spectator - By Ross Kaminsky - May. 16 (Opinion) - Within days of their officially entering the presidential fray, two Republican Oval Office aspirants may have torpedoed what little chance they might have had with disastrous answers on Sunday morning television.

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Separation of Church and State: PBS Airs Documentary of a Mother's Story

Wed, 11 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Huffington Post - By Chris Benson - May. 11 (Review) - The powerful human story behind the story of the fight that led ultimately to the Supreme Court's 8-1 ruling in 1948 that provided the framework for the contemporary principle of separation of church and state. It is a story that is beautifully rendered in the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning documentary, The Lord is Not on Trial Here Today.

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Corporate Coup d’état Coming Soon to a City Near You

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Common Dreams - By Rania Khalek - Apr. 20 (Opinion) - Disaster capitalism is on display around the country, as legislators use the debt crisis afflicting their states as an opportunity to hollow out the public sector. In Michigan it’s being packaged as “emergency financial management” by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, who is looking to exploit an economic crisis that has left his state with a severe budget deficit. In March, Snyder signed a law granting state-appointed emergency financial managers (EFM) the ability to fire local elected officials, break teachers’ and public workers’ contracts, seize and sell assets, and eliminate services, entire cities or school districts, all without any public input. He claims these dictatorial restructuring powers will keep Michigan communities out of bankruptcy. Michigan currently has unelected EFM’s in charge of the schools in Detroit, as well as the cities of Pontiac, Ecorse, and Benton Harbor.

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It’s Official: Tunisia Now Freer than the U.S. | Informed Comment

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Informed Comment - By Professor Juan Cole - Mar. 09 (Opinion) - Tunisian Prime Minister Béji Caïd Essebsi announced on Monday the dissolution of the country’s secret police arm. This step toward democracy is the most important taken by any Arab country for decades. Euronews has video: Tunisia’s interim government also abolished the ‘Ministry of Information,’ which had been in charge of censorship, allowing a free press [...]

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Sarah Palin's bizarre view of the First Amendment

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Salon - By Justin Elliott - Mar. 03 (Opinion) - Sarah Palin, who has more than once invoked the First Amendment when she or her allies faced criticism, today denounced the Supreme Court's 8-1 ruling allowing the Westboro Baptist Church to protest outside soldiers' funerals with signs reading "“God Hates Fags" and the like.

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The Weak Link in Judge Vinson’s Opinion Striking Down the Mandate

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0800

The Volokh Conspiracy - By Orin Kerr - Feb. 01 (Opinion) - To understand Vinson’s argument, you need to realize that conservatives and libertarians have been complaining for many decades that Commerce Clause doctrine has left Congress essentially unlimited power. Between Wickard v. Filburn and Gonzales v. Raich, conservatives and libertarians have complained, the federal government can justify pretty much anything.

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Today’s Florida District Court Ruling Striking Down the Obamacare Individual Mandate

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800

The Volokh Conspiracy - By Ilya Somin - Jan. 31 (Opinion) - Today’s Florida district court ruling that the individual mandate is unconstitutional is by far the best court opinion on this issue so far. Judge Roger Vinson provides a thorough and impressive analysis of the federal government’s arguments claiming that the mandate is authorized by the Commerce Clause and the Necessary and Proper Clause, and explains the flaws in each. He had already rejected the government’s claim that the mandate is constitutional because it is a tax in a previous ruling. So far, all three federal courts that have considered the tax argument have rejected it, instead ruling (in my view correctly) that the mandate is a penalty.

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What the "right to bear arms" really means

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Salon - By Saul Cornell - Jan. 16 (Opinion) - After an immediate cathartic and emotional response, the two sides in the gun debate fall into their familiar postures. Proposals for new gun regulation are made, prompting push-back from gun rights advocates, who circle their wagons, issue warnings about the threats to our Second Amendment rights, and -- in a more recent twist -- begin calling for a relaxation of existing gun regulation so that citizens can more easily defend themselves.

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Keeping the Kettle of Divisiveness on the Boil

Sat, 08 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800

sensen-no-sen.blogspot.com - By Pbi - Jan. 08 (Opinion) - One day before the Constitution was read aloud in the House, Rep. Steve King sponsored an anti-birthright citizenship bill that flies directly in the face of the 14th Amendment. It has no hope of becoming law, and its true purpose is to keep Americans divided.

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My Parents Were Executed Under the Unconstitutional Espionage Act -- Here's Why We Must Fight to Protect Julian Assange

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800

AlterNet - By Robert Meeropol - Jan. 02 (Opinion) - The Espionage Act is a huge danger to our open society; it's been used to send hundreds of dissenters to jail just for voicing their opinions, transforming dissent into treason.

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Something is Rotten

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0800

TruthOut - By Dave Lindorff - Dec. 10 (Opinion) - In most countries, including the US and UK, these would not pass the test to be considered a crime, much less qualify as a category of “rape," but Swedish authorities, who in all of this year have only submitted one other request to Interpol for assistance in capturing a sex crimes suspect, asked the international police agency to issue a so-called Red Alert for Assange, who was subsquently asked by police in the UK, where he was staying, to turn himself in or face arrest. (The other Interpol Red Alert sought by Swedish prosecutors this year was for Jan Christer Wallenkurtz, a 58-year-old Swedish national wanted on multiple charges of alleged sex crimes and sex crimes against children.)

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Whatever happened to the Constitution?

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Power Line - By Scott Johnson - Dec. 07 (Opinion) - The debate is somewhat frustrating. Limited government is supposedly the subject, yet the debaters mostly address concerns about the size rather than the scope of government. It seems to me that this confuses the issue. Limited government properly refers to the thought underlying the original Constitution that leads to the limitation of the powers of the government. The government's powers were specified and limited in order to secure the rights proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence. ... According to Douglas, the teaching of the Declaration had no general applicability beyond the immediate situation that confronted the Founding Fathers. Restating Douglas's argument, Lincoln asked "in all soberness, if all these things, if indulged in, if ratified, if confirmed and endorsed, if taught to our children, and repeated to them, do not tend to rub out the sentiment of liberty in the country, and to transform this Government into a government of some other form."

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