Government that Works?

I got a perverse laugh while surfing the Huffington Post this afternoon. It is nice to know that the President wants to protect the ownership of real property. At least, that was first reaction. Then I read the entire thing. First, it only stops actions by the Federal government, but we know how they have been lately. My laughter didn't get particularly uproarious until the very end of the order:

This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity against the United States, its departments, agencies, entities, officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

For those watching at home, this order is a nice way of saying that the President wants to protect your right to own real property over a Supreme Court decision from last year, but that doesn't mean you can actually enforce it against the government. This means the entire thing is nothing more than dicta with more responsibility attached to the attorney general.

I snorted pretty hard at what Treasury Secretary John Snow said about the CIA Bank Records Program today too. From the ABC News Report:

"responsible government, it's effective government, it's government that works."

I think Mr. Snow's concept of pragmatic constitutionally responsible government differs from mine just a little bit, but I could be wrong.