HAPPY CONSTITUTION DAY: Observe it appropriately.

UPDATE: A rather lame response from Conor Friedersdorf, boiling down to a mixture of move along, nothing to see here and, of course, BUUUSSSHHH!

First, is the “secret torture program” he’s talking about the one where the Justice Department investigation was recently closed without recommending any prosecutions? And I — unlike, say, Oliver Willis, — have always opposed torture, though I have entertained some doubts that waterboarding counts. So, apparently, did Holder’s DOJ, which I’ll admit is possible reason for me to reconsider.

Second, Conor makes a crucial mistake here — the things he complains about may or may not be bad, but they are not aimed at Presidents’ political enemies (or inconveniences) within the United States. When a President turns his powers unconstitutionally against domestic political problems, it raises a whole different risk of abuse. That’s what’s involved here. And the notion that this was a routine probation matter fails the laugh test, at least for anyone who actually knows anything.

As for the “literally,” do try to keep up. This is an advanced blog, and expects readers to pay attention.