OK, I just cannot keep my nose out of this thread any longer.
During the days of J.Edger Hoover, it could be said the FBI was Republician controlled. Not long after his death, with the natural order of things taken out of the hands of that ultra right wing paranoid nutbag, the persons occuping positions within the rank and file, being to the man,(And now, woman)not just well educated, but highly educated persons. I have found group dynamics plays a big role in the additudes of persons in a group, and education plays an even bigger role in an individuals perception of the world around them and highly educated persons control over the dictates of group dynamics.
The FBI, and pretty much all persons in controlling positions of government agencies are individuals with Masters Degrees, Phd,s and awareness that they are servents of American Citizens (Collectivly). Collectivly, the people want life, liberity and the pursuit of happiness. Some individuals want more, but they have to earn that on their own. Some things just cannot be interpeted by the constitution as an individual right.
Nobamba, and I do not like or trust him, is NOT responsible for the patriot act, and the restrictions of individual rights it has brought about. A right wing Republician did that. Nobamba did not put ski masks on cops to hide their identity when they bust into your home, Ray-gun did that, and his VEEPEE, the original Bush continued the practice. Clinton halted it. Cops must now show their faces to you when they bust into your home. Even the Patriot act does not serve to hide the identity of agents of the government hiding their faces from it's citizens.Congress would not dare try to go back to that. And it was those very highly educated feds who would have to don those ski masks, ans I just bet there were MANY outspoken feds making their opinions known to the persons writing these laws as how they felt the PEOPLE would respond to armed and masked men approaching them. The consesious to all including feds is if he wears a mask and has a gun, KILL HIM, HE IS A CRIMINAL. Feds do not like wearing masks.
Street cops are of a different breed. Holding the individule in utter contempt, the street cop fantisies about going about his or her duties wearing an outfit that instills fear in the hearts of the masses. All the street cops I have had the displeasure of knowing both professionally and not see themselves as the consencious of the average american. What he or she likes, the american likes. What he or she dislikes, then all americans dislike.And they have a brotherhood unlike anything seen on this planet. Not even most governments have such within their rank and file. Such a bonding of semi literate, High School Grads, and maybe even community college grads enmasse, hold views that their poorly thought out, highly emotional issues are the only valid issues around, and what everyone else thinks or belives are not inportant, and therefore they do not deserve a voice. If a band of cops get together and decide a person may not speak publicly, or publish a book, or have anything to say contrary to what they have to say, and it is within their power to do somthing about it, they will do so. (Now how many cops really care about a persons constitution rights?) NONE! Now, if a politician sudjested to a cop that a person must, for the good of the country and that politicians career, be jailed, even found dead of an overdose, or in a whores flop, then you have the makings of a very dangerous relationship with that one cop, for all he has to do is make a phone call, and any person that politician wants dealt with, will be dealt with. It seems to me feds have to spend more time putting a handle on such relationships that could be spent actually protecting the country that it is no wonder any anti terrorist investigations actually take place.
You would not belive just how many times federal employees told politians, and I include various US Presidents, to go #### themselves when asked to violate a citizens rights. That politician usually, if he feels he must, goes to a cop he knows who is willing for whatever reason to murder a citizen that politician want dead and does it. Feds will not. They are the true consiousness of the copuntry. And they respect the constitution. And uphold it.
Nobamba is very unpopular with the right wing, whos views have been challangedby the people. The people have said, maybe without realizing it, maybe with, that they do not hold the semiliterate group consiousness of the cop as valid. They, the people have chosen. The right wing tried, but were shouted down at the polls. The highly educated elites views hold true.
Nobamba lied during his champaign on his gun rights views. I will never trust him. B ut the electrolite, the people have said in one voice"That issue is of no consiquence to us, we want the right out, and the left in."
So be it. It is going to be an interesting couple of years, or however long he lasts. The feds would rather he be in office though. He and his are less likly in using cops to murder citezens, whilr the right do so on a regular basis. He is highly educated and liberal. Clinton was highly educated and l;iberal. Hell, most highly educated persons are liberal,and arew not so because of group dynamics, like semiliterates behave. They do so out of choise.