Filed under: Politics
From The Atlantic:
Four years ago, The Boston Globe asked presidential aspirants to complete a questionnaire that plumbed their views on executive power. It is an indispensable resource for anyone intent on holding President Obama accountable to the positions he took during his campaign. As yet, however, those of us covering the 2012 primaries haven't gotten the contenders to commit themselves to anything so specific. I propose collaborating to get on the record answers from every campaign to the following questions:
1) Does the president possess the power to order American citizens killed so long as he or she first declares them enemy combatants? Is it legal for the Obama Administration to kill Anwar al-Awlaki?
2) Is the war in Libya legal? What is your understanding of the president's war powers? Absent an attack on America or the imminent threat of one, will you pledge to clear all wars with Congress?
3) If a suspected terrorist is captured by the United States, is it morally and legally permissible to interrogate him by strapping him down, covering his nose and mouth, and pouring water over those cavities to simulate the sensation of drowning?
4) Should the FBI be required to get permission from a judge before it puts a tracking device on the car of an American citizen? Should a warrant be required to listen to an American citizen's phone calls or to request information from their bank, phone company or Internet service provider?
5) If a CIA or FBI agent tortures a detainee in American custody should he or she be prosecuted for it?
6) Does an American accused of plotting a terrorist attack enjoy the same due process rights as citizens accused of other crimes?
Read the last four and more at The Atlantic.