Glenn Greenwald writes of President Obama’s trend towards caving to conservative fear-mongers who don’t want civil liberties and the rule of law to be preserved whenever terrorism comes:

If, in the face of “GOP demands” that Mohamed be denied a civilian trial, he again reverses himself — this time on the highest-profile civil liberties decision of his administration — he will unmistakably reveal himself, even to his most enamored admirers, as someone so utterly devoid not only of principle but also of resolve: you just blow on him a little and he falls down and shatters into little pieces.

No Glenn, not “you.” Conservatives. President Obama has shown incredible resolve when it comes to resisting the demands, requests, and entreaties of progressives. The pressure on Obama from the right may be slight and he may cave with great consistency, but this is in stark contrast to how he stands up boldly to those on the left who ask him to keep promises he made and beliefs he claims to espouse.

There have been many places where I’ve been disappointed with the Obama administration – war policy, healthcare, and labor reform to name a few. But none is more infuriating than the absolute chickenshittery the administration has put forth when it comes to the rule of law and restoring the Constitution. It’s still early, but a reversal of civilian trials for the 9/11 defendants for purely political reasons (though who can honestly think this is a political calculus that is correct?) would be the nail in the coffin for any hopes I’ve held out that President Obama would fix the damage George W. Bush did to the rule of law in America.