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January 20, 2009 will mark the end of one administration and the beginning of another and with that momentous event, a transition of powers that have never been assumed or held by any president in United States history, will be passed to President-elect Barack Hussein Obama. These powers will include Patriot Act 2, with its warrentless wiretapping and surveillance laws, the suspension of habeas corpus in the War on Terror, the policy of backroom wheelings and dealings, croynism and a complete disregard of the Constitution and checks and balances, aided by Congress's ineffectiveness over the last eight years. This arsenal of criminal policy and unconstitutional laws will be at the behest of a brand new administration.

In speeches across America, President-elect Obama promised to uphold the Constitution and bring back the moral authority of the United States on the worldwide stage, but that can only be done by renouncing the policies of the previous administration and adhering to the rule of transparency. President-elect Obama's first order of business should be to close Guantanamo Bay and strike down Patriot Act 2. By closing Gitmo he would be showing not only America but the world at large that his administration stands by the United States' commitments and promises. Promises that are law.

A transparent government is necessary for order, justice and democracy in a society. President Bush's administration may have fulfilled the letter of the law by disclosing certain information, however they failed to fulfill the intent. By instituting the Patriot Act, and subsequently Patriot Act 2, his administration showed a complete disregard for the Constitution and the needs of the American people. President Bush further destroyed the confidence of the American people in the administration by pardoning individuals in his administration guilty of illegal firings, name-dropping, illegal search and seizure, torture in violation of the Geneva Code of Convention and conflict of interest. President-elect Obama must not make those same mistakes.

In order to insure peace and prosperity President-elect Obama must reaffirm the separation of powers and to avoid cronyism hold cabinet members, administration staff, and members of Congress to constitutional standards. After closing Guantanamo Bay and striking down Patriot Act 2, he must make it a firm policy to never overstep the bounds of presidential authority, which can only be accomplished by allowing the sun to shine on all his policy

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