Josh Gerstein over at Politico sent Threat Level his piece underscoring once again President Barack Obama is not the civil-liberties knight in shining armor many were expecting.

Gerstein posts a televised interview of Obama and John Walsh of America’s Most Wanted. The nation’s chief executive extols the virtues of mandatory DNA testing of Americans upon arrest, even absent charges or a conviction. Obama said, “It’s the right thing to do” to “tighten the grip around folks” who commit crime.

When it comes to civil liberties, the Obama administration has come under fire for often mirroring his predecessor’s practices surrounding state secrets, the Patriot Act and domestic spying. There’s also Gitmo, Jay Bybee and John Yoo.

Now there’s DNA sampling. Obama told Walsh he supported the federal government, as well as the 18 states that have varying laws requiring compulsory DNA sampling of individuals upon an arrest for crimes ranging from misdemeanors to felonies. The data is lodged in state and federal databases, and has fostered as many as 200 arrests nationwide, Walsh said.

The American Civil Liberties Union claims DNA sampling is different from mandatory, upon-arrest fingerprinting that has been standard practice in the United States for decades.

A fingerprint, the group says, reveals nothing more than a person’s identity. But much can be learned from a DNA sample, which codes a person’s family ties, some health risks, and, according to some, can predict a propensity for violence.

The ACLU is suing California to block its voter-approved measure requiring saliva sampling of people picked up on felony charges. Authorities in the Golden State are allowed to conduct so-called “familial searching” — when a genetic sample does not directly match another, authorities start investigating people with closely matched DNA in hopes of finding leads to the perpetrator.

Do you wonder whether DNA sampling is legal?

The courts have already upheld DNA sampling of convicted felons, based on the theory that the convicted have fewer privacy rights. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that when conducting intrusions of the body during an investigation, the police need so-called “exigent circumstances” or a warrant. That alcohol evaporates in the blood stream is the exigent circumstance to draw blood from a suspected drunk driver without a warrant.

Source: Wired

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Tasing to get DNA?

At least it sure looks like it according to this news release. It seems that the United States has shipped 387 “Blu” bombs to a U.S. military base on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. These “Blu” bombs are used specifically for destroying hardened and underground structures (like, uh, allegedunderground nuclear bomb facilities in Iran?).

“They are gearing up totally for the destruction of Iran,” said Dan Plesch, director of the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at the University of London, co-author of a recent study on US preparations for an attack on Iran. “US bombers are ready today to destroy 10,000 targets in Iran in a few hours,” he added. The preparations were being made by the US military, but it would be up to President Obama to make the final decision. He may decide that it would be better for the US to act instead of Israel, Plesch argued. [emphasis mine]

This should certainly “endear” us even more to the Muslims in the Middle East. Oops, I keep forgetting: Middle Eastern Muslims don’t hate us because of our interference in their political affairs, they hate us because we are rich. (By the way, since Iran does not have the capability to bomb the United States, when exactly did the United States’ Department of Defense become the Department of Israeli Defense?)

Source: Lew Rockwell

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The Real Axis of Evil: Washington, the Fed, and Wall Street

When the Supreme Court decided the case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, henceforth allowing corporate soft money to influence U.S. elections, Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) cynically opined that it would lead to the election of the “congressman from Wal-Mart.”

Turns out, he may be right.

Meet Murray Hill, Inc., the first corporation to run for Congress in the United States.

“Until now, corporations only influenced politics with high-paid lobbyists and backroom deals,” the company’s YouTube account declares. “But today, thanks to an enlightened supreme court, corporations now have all the rights the founding fathers meant for us. That’s why Murray Hill Incorporated is taking democracy’s next step– running for Congress.”

Murray Hill, Inc. even has a fan page on Facebook, and a campaign ad. Watch:

Hill says it plans to file as a Republican for the GOP primary in Maryland’s eighth congressional district, currently represented by Democrat Chris Van Hollen.

Van Hollen, along with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), introduced legislation in February they hope will help blunt the effect of the court’s decision by restoring some of the restrictions on corporate campaign spending. Hill reportedly has “no beef” with Van Hollen, though the position seems more part of the campaign’s schtick than anything.

The company, a self-titled “progressive” messaging firm, was launched in 2005 by one Eric Hensal, who used to work with Group360, an advocacy organization in Washington, D.C.

Hill said in a statement that its campaign would put people “second, or even third,” according to The Washington Post.

“It’s a new day,” Hill’s ad says. “Until now, corporations influenced politics with high paid lobbyists and backroom deals. However, as much as corporate interests gave to politicians, we could never be absolutely sure they would do our bidding. But today, thanks to an enlightened Supreme Court, corporations now have all the rights the founding fathers meant for us. It’s our democracy: we bought it, we paid for it and we’re going to keep it.”

Hill “wanted to run as a Republican because we feel the Republican Party is more receptive to our basic message that corporations are people, too,” campaign manager William Klein told the Post.

When the Supreme Court first decided Citizens United, 41 industry leaders signed a letter to Congress urging the end of what they called corporate “bribery.”

“Is there a difference between campaign contributions and bribery?” said Alan Hassenfeld, chairman of Hasbro, Inc, who co-signed the letter. “It is long past the time to stop requiring that our elected officials moonlight as telemarketers raising money for their re-election campaigns rather then devoting all their time to solving the problems before this nation.”

A blogger with watchdog group The Sunlight Foundation called the decision the “corporate globalization” of U.S. elections, cautioning that allowing corporate funds in elections would also make way for undue foreign influence on U.S. politics.

“It allows corporations to spend all the money they want to buy and sell elected officials through the campaign process,” Rep. Grayson said of the Citizens United case. “It allows them to reward political sellouts, and it allows them to punish elected officials who actually try to do what’s right for the people.”

The Post adds:

Whether or not a corporation ultimately replaces Van Hollen in Congress, Murray Hill’s interest has sparked other speculation among the political chattering class in Maryland.
Why not have an accounting firm run for comptroller, the state’s chief tax collector? Why not a law firm for attorney general? The winning firm could arrive in office with a full cadre of associates and save taxpayers money.
It remains to be seen whether the attention generated by Murray Hill’s bid will be good for its bottom line.

Source: Raw Story

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