We the People Petitions

On Tuesday, The New York Times published a lengthy article on the process by which the Obama White House decides whom to dispatch from this earth with robot drones. There's a couple of things worth noting upfront. First, given the access the Times was accorded to write this story, it's pretty much a certainty that the White House is happy with the finished product. Second... wow, is there ever some cause for concern! Just check out the way the it defines "militants" for the purpose of after-action review of these drone strikes: "... Mr. Obama embraced a disputed method for counting civilian casualties that did little to box him in. It in effect counts all military-age males in a strike zone as combatants... unless there is explicit intelligence posthumously proving them innocent."

Alien lifeforms have not contacted Earth yet, the White House claimed over the weekend in response to petitions asking for information on supposed hum...