Republican lawmakers in America are concerned: they think that the request of the Obama administration and its treasury secretary for additional powers represents an unprecedented power grab. Being a libertarian at heart, I share their concerns even as I recognize the necessity for unprecedented government intervention at a time of unprecedented crisis.
But, it is difficult not to notice of the hipocrisy. The same lawmakers did not appear to be nearly as upset when the Bush administration grabbed unprecedented powers… not in the economic arena, mind you, but in the area of safety and security, directly impacting the personal freedoms and liberties of not just Americans, but also foreign nationals on American soil, such as Canadian Maher Arar who was deported to Syria for torture and unlawful imprisonment. If only Republican lawmakers were as eager to guard constitutional freedoms back then!