For the first time in US history, the Senate has delayed a secretary of defense nominee despite 59 votes in the chamber. This is even more unprecedented because we are currently at war. It's pretty clear that politics in the United States is no longer about the welfare of the majority, but rather political basis points. In the same way that the 9/11 commissioners complained that they were "set up to fail," I so believe that Obama was set up to fail.
Obama's future -- and the future of the United States -- is currently being decided. At the moment, Obama's future is being decided not by a recalcitrant Senate, but rather by the federal courts. With the passing of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2012, Obama gained the power to lock up Americans without hope of ever seeing a judge or jury. Though Obama pretended that he didn't need those powers, the urgency with which he fought to preserve them indicates otherwise. When an Obama-appointed judge sided against her boss and declared section 1021 of the NDAA act unconstitutional, the Obama administration filed an emergency injunction to maintain the law while they filed an appeal.
A court of appeals granted the Obama administration's injunction, and he still retains the power to lock you or me up forever if he suspects that we are in some way involved with Al-Qaeda or some other "associated force." The case is currently on appeal, and is expected to reach the supreme court. The individual [Chris Hedges] challenging the government's assertion that section 1021 is constitutional fears that the Obama administration is already indefinitely detaining American citizens somewhere, possibly Aghrams air force base.
I agree with the lawyer's assessment: all the evidence seems to indicate that the Obama administration believes it can detain Americans in secret and forever just like North Korea or China. The question then becomes: did Obama inherit said US citizen[s] from W Bush, or were they/he/she captured under his watch? At the very least, Obama is guilty of failing to faithfully execute the laws of the United States. He would clearly be guilty, legally speaking, if the courts rule section 1021 of the NDAA illegal.
If the supreme court rules that section 1021 of the NDAA act is constitutional, the United States officially becomes a police state. If, however, the courts find the act unconstitutional, Obama would then be in contempt of court. If/when Obama is found in contempt of court, the United States will be faced with a constitutional crisis and the prospect of a civil war. America currently finds itself in what could potentially be its darkest hour.
