A decision by the Obama administration has provoked criticism from civil and human rights groups, but much of it is based on a frame of reference left over from the Bush years. As long as that continues so will the controversies.

For more on pruning back executive power see Pruning Shears.

An article on the Obama administration’s rendition stance provoked a fierce response from some on the left. But even if it is mistaken, the new policy still falls substantially short of what civil and human rights advocates called for during the Bush years.

For more on pruning back executive power see Pruning Shears.

The new president has made some encouraging moves in his first days. Many, however, will only come into focus later – and some already suggest a fondness for his predecessor’s way of doing things.

For more on pruning back executive power see Pruning Shears.

A new article in The Atlantic argues for a rebalancing of powers in the wake of the abuses of the last eight years, but what ails Washington cannot be cured by legislation.

For more on pruning back executive power see Pruning Shears.

The president perhaps revealed more than he intended this week when he criticized other countries for avoiding any involvement with Guantánamo. They did so for entirely sensible reasons, and by now the soundest legal resolution to it for the U.S. may also be the most politically unpalatable.

For more on pruning back executive power see Pruning Shears.

Some key players in Washington are about to start life without their favorite scapegoat. If the early signals are any indication they may have a lot more to lose by breaking with his policies than continuing them.

For more on pruning back executive power see Pruning Shears.

The administration’s legacy is already being debated, and the biggest events of it may have too many variables for a definitive consensus to be settled on. Some of the less well known stories may provide a great deal of clarity, however.

For more on pruning back executive power see Pruning Shears.

A CD’s worth of great songs from slightly off the beaten path

The Senate released an extraordinary document last week, containing the kind of accusations that once would have brought Washington – and the nation – to a standstill. Instead it received a muted response, and the reasons are not hard to see.

For more on pruning back executive power see Pruning Shears.

The Attorney General recently asserted that no pardons are necessary for any of the actors in the administration’s torture regime. Whether or not that is true as a political strategy his reasoning for it hints at a disturbing attitude towards the system he is supposed to represent.

For more on pruning back executive power see Pruning Shears.