September 21, 2009 - 10. Have top U.S. military officers, Defense Department officials, and politicians say we're in a religious war

As many will remember, we couldn't have gotten off to a better start on winning hearts and minds when Lt. Gen. William "Jerry" Boykin, on his speaking tour of churches back in 2003, publicly and in uniform proclaimed that the so-called war on terror was really a fight between Satan and Christians, making comments like, "We in the Army of God, in the House of God, the Kingdom of God have been raised for such a time as this," saying that George Bush, who himself had ignorantly called the war a crusade, was "in the White House because God put him there," and, referring to the capture of Somali warlord Osman Atto, "I knew that my God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God, and his was an idol."

September 20, 2009 - Back in 2001, the Defense Department was briefed about a massive data mining system that officials said was aimed at identifying alleged terrorists who lived and communicated with people in the United States. The new intelligence program granted traditional law enforcement agencies as well as the FBI and the CIA the authority to conduct what was then referred to as "suspicionless surveillance" of American citizens.

September 19, 2009 - As Congress prepares to consider extending crucial provisions of the USA Patriot Act, civil liberties groups and some Democratic lawmakers are gearing up to press for sweeping changes to surveillance laws.

September 17, 2009 - Sixteen years ago, those in favor of banning openly gay and lesbian servicemembers were direct and no-nonsense about saying so, even if the assertions they made--gays in uniform would wreck military discipline and decimate the ranks of the all-volunteer services--essentially constituted a vote of no confidence in the professionalism of the United States military's personnel.