"To protect our liberty, it is essential that we root out these threats by any means necessary; and if the Constitution gets in the way, let’s ignore it — just for a bit — until we can get the problem squared away. Then things can get back to normal."<p>The Roman republic had some ideas about dealing with this with dictators appointed to "get the matter done". They were usually called upon when they were at war or facing rebellion. The dictator was vested with absolute power. He could pass any law or make any change to the Roman constitution. Once the matter had been done, he was immune to prosecution for anything done as dictator. It was an effective way for Rome to be free during peacetime and powerful during wars.<p>The thing is that when there's constantly a matter to be done that the power creep is never repealed.
The most dangerous enemy, as the nation’s founders understood, is inside....the growing domestic surveillance apparatus. These have become part of the new normal.<p>... millions of federal employees and contractors must watch for “high-risk persons or behaviors” among co-workers and could face penalties, including criminal charges, for failing to report them. Leaks to the media are equated with espionage.<p>Under Obama’s leak policies, anyone who reveals secret activities — illegal or not — is considered to be aiding the enemy.