The Exercise Of Executive And Judicial Power, Both To The Public's Detriment

First, the Executive branch, in which the DNI threatens to use the "internet of things" to spy on Americans in their home or at work:

US intelligence chief: we might use the internet of things to spy on you

(Warning: your refrigerator is telling the spooks what you snack on at midnight!)

Not to be outdone, the Supreme Court throws a spanner in the works of Obama's executive orders reducing carbon emissions:

Carbon pollution controls put on hold

(Note: today's Big Event may change what the Supreme Court does about a lot of things. See more recent post above.)

It's not so much that we need [booming Republican voice] LESS GOVERNMENT as that we need more constraints on all branches of government. Say, I know what... we need a Constitution; that should provide the necessary... oh, right; we've got one of those, and it doesn't seem to constrain much of anybody in government...

TPP Fast-Track Fails Crucial Senate Vote

Wow; who knew (aside from Harry Reid) this would happen! Here's Yves Smith:

Fast Track Authority for Toxic Trade Fails Key Vote in Senate

From Reuters:

Legislation giving U.S. President Barack Obama authority to speed trade deals through Congress failed a crucial procedural test on Tuesday, delaying a measure that may be key to President Barack Obama’s diplomatic pivot to Asia.

In a setback to the White House trade agenda, the Senate voted 52-45 – eight votes short of the necessary 60 – to clear the way for debate on the legislation, which would allow a quick decision on granting the president so-called fast track authority to move trade deals quickly through Congress.

...

I am glad I am not a White House Laundry worker, because I'm certain Obama soiled his underwear over this...

(H/T Enfant, in comments to previous post.)

Border Patrol Official: Agents Who Talk To Reporters May Be Prosecuted

Kevin Gosztola of FDL:

CBP Agents Learn to STFU

In an email the Associated Press obtained,  an assistant chief patrol agent warns thousands of Border Patrol agents if they talk to journalists about the crisis with immigrant children crossing the US-Mexico border they may be charged with committing a crime.

Eligio “Lee” Pena warned “more than 3,000 Border Patrol agents that journalists looking for information about what Obama has described as a humanitarian crisis are likely to ask for information,” according to the AP.

Pena’s email also suggested that reporters “may try to disguise themselves” to get agents to provide information. “Agents should not speak to reporters, on or off duty, without advanced permission and warned that anyone who does could be charged with a crime or disciplined administratively.”

...

Bolds mine. I almost titled this post "Executive control freak orders suppression of all conversations between government officials and reporters." But that's not really true, is it? It's really only conversations with Executive branch agents, not the entire government, that are being squelched. Still, it's troubling beyond mere annoyance that the Obama administration feels a compulsion to do this heavy-handed silencing of its Customs‑Border Patrol agents.

Someone in comments to Gosztola's post remarked that Obama's real similarity is not to GeeDubya Bush, but rather to Richard Nixon. Yep!

A [Redacted] Day For The ACLU

Glenn Greenwald:

The ACLU submitted a FOIA request to obtain the Obama administration's policy on intercepting text messages sent to and from cell phones. This is the document they received - here [.pdf] - from the Most Transparent Administration Ever™. It's hard to believe that the DOJ isn't mischievously cackling at their own brazenly displayed contempt as they do these things.

For those of you reading on the few remaining mobile devices on which .pdf readers may not be universally available, take it from me: all 15 pages of the requested document are wholly redacted. Yep. Fifteen solid black pages, thanks to your sadly misnamed "Justice" department.

I do not believe this response complies with the spirit of the FOIA. But that seems to be the nature of American government these days: the executive branch does whatever it damned well pleases, and the rest of us suck on it and "like" it.

As you contemplate this response, remember not to text your deepest secrets even to your life partner. Good grief... has it come to this, that the increasingly fascist regime feels it necessary to capture... text messages? OMG I hp thy njoy rdng abbrs...

Remind me: why did I ever vote for this prez?

He Was Either Responsible Or Irresponsible:Nixon Was Worse Than We Ever Knew

Please read Phoenix Woman of FDL's "What Even Woodward and Bernstein Can't Say Out Loud: Nixon Wrecked the Paris Peace Talks" and Robert Parry of Consortium News's "The Dark Continuum of Watergate".

Even after four decades, the shit Nixon is revealed to have done still makes me angry. Someone in comments on the FDL post remarked that Ford's pardon of Nixon was the trigger of the entire "imperial presidency" phenomenon. I don't know if it's that simple, but I do know it makes me wish I believed in an actual Hell...

Tom Tomorrow: 'How A Secret Memo Justifies A Kill List'

... or "Schoolhouse Rock, the Sequel." 'Nuff said... view it and weep.