What are the most important things Barack Obama, should he win, needs to do right away? Having asked the question, I won't wait around holding my breath until somebody answers -- here's what I think:
1) Clear out all the extra-constitutional crap that has accumulated as "current practice" in our government. By this I mean:
- Signing statements: Get laws passed nullifying the legal effect of all signing statements past present and future. This might be done simply by deliberately making a particularly egregious one that the supreme court would strike down.
- Torture: Make it impossible for future administrations to commit torture and call it legal. How? I don't know.
- Extralegal detentions: Close Guantanamo, CIA black sites, and make it impossible (once again by a well-timed Supreme court challenge perhaps) for such activities to be considered outside US legal jurisdiction.
2) Comprehensive election reform. This means developing federal standards for voting equipment, establishing a federal election review board to oversee state procedures for voter roll verification and prevent caging, purging (and yes, voter fraud).
3) Repeal the AUMF. Once again, the supreme court could be forced to conclude that future declarations of war by congress must contain a specific enemy or enemies and a timeline in order to be legal. continure the war by specific act of congress if need be.
4) Join the ICC.
5) Double the budget for basic science.
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