[smsm42]

When it stops being a "test" and becomes a failure? When Obama retires? I think it is obvious by now Obama was not, is not and will not be willing to do any changes that rein in rampant security apparatus. And why should he? It's not like antiwar/privacy types are going to vote Republican, right? (1% of them may vote Libertarian but since whole Libertarian base is around 1% anyway it's not even on the radar). What's the incentive here? He's not the small government type. He's not a proponent of rigid Constitutional boundaries (except in moments when he wants to invoke those as an excuse for not doing something he doesn't want to do). He's not in fear of loss of votes for himself or his party. He's a darling of all the press except the ones from the opposing party who would hate him anyway. Why exactly should he pay any more than the lip service to this hard and messy issue and engage in this battle which may cost him but will not win him anything he doesn't already have?

>>> Otherwise all that Hope & Change sloganeering will be empty rhetoric.

Will be? Will be? How naive can one be, really? It's going on for over 5 years now, and we're still talking as if Obama is just starting up and if he doesn't do this and that then maybe what he said is just words? Maybe it's time to face it - yes, it's just words.