Obama passing the buck

So much for the buck stops here.

"WASHINGTON (AP) — In reversing itself and blocking the release of photos of U.S. military personnel abusing detainees, the Obama administration claims to have found a new legal argument. It hasn't.

What the administration has found is a way to pass the buck to the courts. President Barack Obama was criticized for last month's release of memos authorizing harsh interrogation techniques. If the photos are now made public over White House objections, the inevitable outrage might be deflected toward the courts and away from the president.

The administration has also found a way to avoid distribution of the photographs just before Obama travels to Egypt to speak directly to Muslims. Government lawyers had promised a federal judge that they would turn over the photos by May 28 — a week before the president's trip."