I'd like to point out that while everyone here has been piling on the "Obama is destroying the USA" meme, it was George W Bush who created the Orwellian "Department of Homeland Security", and he's either so stupid that he doesn't realize that was the largest step towards a surveillance police-state since the House Un-American Activities Committee, or else he's such a knob that he doesn't care. I find it ironic that the Republicans were enthusiastically behind this initiative. Thanks a lot guys.
http://www.bordc.org/involved/concerned/votingrecords_detail.php?bill=3
H.R. 5005 - Homeland Security Act of 2002
Yea - 206 Republican, 89 Democrat
Nay - 11 Republican, 121 Democrat