Spying On Americans --- Obama Style

In December 2005, the Washington Post and New York Times broke an article, stating that Bush Authorized Domestic Spying.  Caroline Frederickson of the ACLU said:

"It's clear that the administration has been very willing to sacrifice civil liberties in its effort to exercise its authority on terrorism, to the extent that it authorizes criminal activity."

Hmmm ... think the new version has greater respect for civil liberties to fight ... er... not terrorism ... but .. Americans who don't like their policies?!

Roll forward to 2009 and a new President in office. Citizens exercising their first amendment rights to free speech protest against the health care "reforms" proposed by the new party in power.

And in August 2009 on http://www.whitehouse.gov, we are asked to snitch on fellow Americans:

"There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."

Let me see ... Bush was fighting terrorism and intercepted calls to terrorist states ... now American don't like the health care proposal and the White House is asking you to spy on your neighbor.

Reactions

• Sen John Cornyn (R-Tex) wrote the President asking:
  

  "I am not aware of any precedent for a President asking American citizens to report their fellow citizens to the White House for pure political speech that is deemed “fishy” or otherwise inimical to the White House’s political interests."

  
  


• The Left has begun labeling Americans who come out and exercise free speech as "Republicans and their rightist allies", "mob rule", and "political terrorists".  (Ah, so the program is to fight terrorism, just like Bush was!)


• Bloggers are comparing the actions to Nazi Germany.
  

  "He actually wants people to tell on those of us who oppose the healthcare “reform.” He wants his supporters to send his people (his SS enforcers, I assume) information about who and where his policies are being resisted."

  
  

This is politics, Chicago-style.  Don't agree with the "chosen one", and you will be spied on, smeared and then what?

This is a dangerous and ominous development.