President Obama stands defiant to candidate Obama-like criticisms

Obama strained relationship with the left took another hit:

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Obama superficially rejects the left labeling Obama's civil rights decisions as substantively similar to Bush's. In response to calls for a truth commission, Obama disparages the option for being "distracting."

I commend the left for not compromising their principles and fearlessly attacking Obama sternly when rhetoric diverts from policy. What is disturbing here, if we are to believe the account of this off the record meeting, is that Obama is not willing to face those criticisms frankly and substantively. Signals that Obama has shrugged off these very real criticisms from civil rights liberals--those whose views are best articulated by Candidate Obama's rousing calls for transparent governance, the rule-of-law, and the preservation American values in the face of adversity--is an omen of impending struggles with the principled left.