NO SURPRISE: “President-elect Barack Obama is unlikely to radically overhaul controversial Bush administration intelligence policies, advisers say, an approach that is almost certain to create tension within the Democratic Party. Civil-liberties groups were among those outraged that the White House sanctioned the use of harsh intelligence techniques — which some consider torture — by the Central Intelligence Agency, and expanded domestic spy powers. These groups are demanding quick action to reverse these policies. Mr. Obama is being advised largely by a group of intelligence professionals, including some who have supported Republicans, and centrist former officials in the Clinton administration.” For some, this will come as a relief. For others, a disappointment verging on betrayal.

UPDATE: A reader emails:

I don’t know if you noticed, but if you didn’t I thought you might be interested to see that the HuffPo reprint of the WSJ article on Obama continuing the Bush administration Intel policies bars comments:

0 comments and a statement that “Comments are closed for this entry.”

I don’t know if this is normal policy or not at the HuffPo, but I thought they were pretty open to letting people vent about things.

Well, not where Obama-criticism might result, surely . . . .

ANOTHER UPDATE: Is this the start of Bush’s rehabilitation?

Whoa, whoa whoa! Pragamatic? Bush’s polices are suddenly pragmatic? What about the incessant ranting for years that Bush had gone far beyond any practical necessity? . . .

Of course, this means that Obama will have to rehabilitate Bush in order to defend his adoption of Bush’s policies. He can’t say that Bush went far beyond necessity and the constitution and then turn around and do the same thing. No, he will patiently explain that it turns out that Bush had most things right and that we need to respect the wise decisions that he made and to finish the work he started.

I predict this will be only one area in which leftist will quickly “re-evaluate” Bush’s legacy. Now that leftists face the same responsibilities that Bush has faced, they will see his actions in a different light. As a result, I predict that Bush will be much better thought of five to ten years down the road than he is today.

Seems likely. [LATER: Above link was wrong before. Fixed now. Sorry!]