The More Things Change

President Obama cites the transgressions and inadequacies of the previous administration viz. the war on terror, or whatever its now called. Citing, accurately in my view, that it is a false choice between protecting our sovereignty (which is what it really is and is the primary responsibility of the federal government; further the phrase "protecting the homeland" just doesn't sit well in my ears) and combating and preventing the idiots who would kill and terrorize us.
Dick Cheney then speaks about how the previous administration did well by the American people, evidenced by the fact that there weren't further attacks on us since the big one that happened on their watch--which was entirely preventable under then-existing US law. He then tells everyone that the new administration is putting American citizens at risk by abandoning the policies of the Bush administration.
The there's Jack Goldsmith, who served as head of the Office of Legal Counsel for the Bush administration from October 2003 to August 2004. He wrote a great book called The Terror Presidency. He has an article up at The New Republic which shows that other than rhetoric and presentation, the current administration is really just following the policies of the past one.