Morning Briefing
For April 17, 2013
1. Calling The Thing By Its Name
Three hours after yesterday’s Boston Marathon Bombings, President Obama gave a short statement in which he pointedly declined to use the word “terrorism.” Shortly after his appearance, an unnamed White House official issued a written statement “Any event with multiple explosive devices — as this appears to be — is clearly an act of terror, and will be approached as an act of terror.” Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel echoed that this morning, calling the bombings a “cruel act of terror.” This morning, Obama followed suit, specifically using the term “terrorism.”
Presidents must choose their words carefully in these situations, and I do not fault Obama for moving with caution* just hours after the attack, when he undoubtedly had not had the time to gather the full input of all the relevant agencies or separate fact from rumor.** But he is right to call this what it is; as as we move forward, we must all have the courage and clarity to call this terrorism. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →
2. The Popup Presidency
I went to the White House website this morning, whitehouse.gov, looking for a copy of the President’s statement on the Boston Marathon Bombings, and instead found the front page roadblocked by this popup ad. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →
3. CISPA Shouldn’t Infringe on Freedom of Contract
I’ve long argued CISPA is a good idea, given that online we are at war with hostile foreign powers attacking our government and our commerce. However that doesn’t mean the bill doesn’t have issues that should be addressed in the normal legislative process. In the following post, Berin Szoka of TechFreedom and Ryan Radia of CEI explain why we should add a few words to CISPA that would preserve the purpose of the bill, while still protecting the private right of contract in this country. . . . please click here for the rest of the post →
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