Cato’s Friedman maintains that the president’s efforts to move the drone program and phase out Gitmo might actually make matters worse by creating an impression that the worst excesses of the war on terrorism are over. But to make that a reality it won’t be enough to simply create another executive bureaucracy to oversee the presidential kill list and oversee the program, as Obama suggested.

Friedman notes, Congress itself should have to authorize every strike — drone or otherwise — which would require it to end the blanket authorization to the use of military force it handed the president post 9/11.

But that won’t happen on its own.

If former Vice President Dick Cheney had authored the drone program, liberals would demand his indictment as a war criminal. But Obama does so and they remain silent.