Thursday, May 26, 2005

Beware of Centralized Power

Consider this:

"In 1995, the government created about 3.6 million secrets. In 2004, there were more than 15.5 million [secrets], according to the government's Information Security Oversight Office. The White House attributes the rise in information the public cannot see to the security threats in a post-Sept. 11, 2001, world. But experts on government secrecy say it goes beyond protecting sensitive security documents, to creating new classes of information kept private and denying researchers access to documents from past presidents. 'We have never had this kind of control over information,' said Allan J. Lichtman, a professor of history at American University. 'It means policy is being made by a small clique without much public scrutiny.' "

"A small clique"? Rove, Cheney, and ... oh yeah, the guy who's actually the president.

And if that doesn't concern you, consider this:

"Judiciary Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) has been assigned by GOP leaders to look for new ways to provide oversight of the federal courts and tougher discipline for judges. In a recent interview he said some judges have 'deliberately decided to be in the face of the president and Congress.' Senate Republicans are weighing legislation to limit court authority, as well."

They're NOT going to put up with an independent judiciary. That's what "the nuclear option" was all about.

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