Civil libertarians may have concluded that President Obama's plans for State Secrets reform are inadequate. But Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) sees them as a good starting point--for getting the president to support his legislation.

I am encouraged by this new President's willingness to work with Congress, the refusal to do so is one of the reasons that the policies of the last administration were such a failure. I support the President's vow to "deal with Congress and the courts as co-equal branches of government" and I stand ready and willing to work with him on this issue. I believe that the State Secrets Protection Act that I reintroduced this Congress is a good starting point. This legislation codifies the privilege in an effective way that balances the protection of national security with appropriate judicial review. I look forward to working with the administration and others in Congress on how best to move this important legislation forward.

That bill is cosponsored by Sens. Arlen Specter (D-PA), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI,) and Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO).