Glenn Greenwald: It's like Bush-Cheney all over, but worse!

By Jennifer Rubin

The left-leaning Glenn Greewald, who unlike virtually all other liberal bloggers has taken a consistent position on the war on terror (criticizing Obama on the same basis on which he excoriated the Bush administration), writes:

Obama has single-handedly eliminated virtually all mainstream debate over these War on Terror policies. At least during the Bush years, we had one party which steadfastly supported them but one party which claimed (albeit not very persuasively) to vehemently oppose them. At least there was a pretense of vigorous debate over their legality, morality, efficacy, and compatibility with our national values. Those debates are no more. Even the hardest-core right-wing polemicists -- Gen. Hayden, the Heritage Foundation, Dick Cheney -- now praise Obama's actions in these areas. Opposition from national Democrats has faded away to almost complete nonexistence now that it's a Democratic President doing these things. What was once viewed as the signature of Bush/Cheney radicalism is now official, bipartisan Washington consensus: the policies equally of both parties and all Serious people. Thanks to Barack Obama, this architecture is firmly embedded in place and invulnerable to meaningful political challenge.

Well, he does have a compelling argument, even considering differences with the Bush administration over enhanced interrogation techniques.

What is more, Greenwald argues, "Obama's embrace of these policies has completely rehabilitated the reputations and standing of the Bush officials responsible for them." Obama won't admit that, of course. It would be gracious if he did, but it's pleasing for conservatives to hear that the left understands the extent of the Bush rehabilitation.

What is key, aside from the sense of satisfaction for conservatives, is that we may be moving toward that bipartisan consensus on national security that so many have pined for. That leaves the left out in the cold, but given Obama's discovery that the left's policy preferences simply don't work, that's a good thing.