You know, prior to twelve noon on January 20, 2009?

Now dissent – and criticism of the president and his policies – is treason.

In an oped in USA Today, John Brennan -- Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism -- responds to critics of the Obama administration's counterterrorism policies by saying "Politically motivated criticism and unfounded fear-mongering only serve the goals of al-Qaeda."

Brennan then goes on to argue that those of us who disagree with the policies are giving into the terrorists by being afraid of them.

Excuse me – have you not considered that we might believe that we are at war with al-Qaeda and other terrorists and believe that we should defeat them? You know – treating our nation’s enemy like they are the enemy and not misguided hooligans picked up for public urination.

Not to mention engaging in public debate about the policies of the American government – sort of like free citizens in a democratic republic are not only allowed to do – is something Americans are required to do as a part of their responsibility to play an active role in setting the direction of our nation.

Unfortunately, Brennan seems to have more interest in taking on loyal Americans who disagree with Øbama than he does in taking on our nation’s real foes, the jihadis. And as any observer of the American political system knows, Brennan’s impugning of the patriotism of those who disagree with Øbama didn’t happen by accident – it was a strategic decision made at the highest level of the Øbama Regime, quite probably by President Øbama himself.

And interestingly enough, in defining dissent as treason, Brennan made it clear that jihadis who try to murder Americans here or abroad get better treatment than domestic dissidents in Øbama’s America. As was pointed out by Jim Geraghty at National Review, Brennan makes it clear that Øbama Regime policy is that Abdulmutallab the Crotch Bomber is merely a suspected terrorist, but we political dissidents in Øbama’s America are presumed guilty, not even labeled as being “alleged traitors” or being merely “suspected of sedition” by Øbama and his minions. Such is the shameful state of affairs in America today during this Error of Hopeychange.