Recently US Senators John McCain, Carl Levin, and Lindsey Graham inserted broad new Federal powers into the NDAA, the annual defense spending authorization bill.
Sections 1031 and 1032 authorize the military to arrest and detain US citizens on US soil. The sections nullify Posse Comitatus and allow the military to suspend a citizens' right to a trial. US citizens can be held "indefinitely." The bill passed the Senate with the new powers. The House is exspected to vote on the NDAA tomorrow.
It was initially reported that the provisions were drawn up at the request of the Obama administration. However, as public anger mounted, the media reported that Obama would veto the provisions.
Many were skeptical that Obama was sincere about vetoing these broad new Federal powers.
Last October the New York Times blew on the whistle on internal White House documents calling for new assassination powers. The New York Times reported that White House lawyers spent the past year drawing up legal arguments for the assassination of a US citizen. The result was a fifty page memorandum saying that the president of the United State has the right to order the assassination of a US citizen.
Democratic Congressman Carl Levin fired back at Obama last Monday. He announced that Obama had personally requested the new powers. Levin stated that language meant to limit the new powers was removed at Obama's request.
Today Obama dropped the charade and admitted he has no intention of vetoing the new powers.
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