The Bush administration has been in its typical mode of operation -- attacking critics -- since published reports surfaced of the domestic spying operation.
President Bush confirmed Saturday that he had authorized the National Security Agency to wiretap calls to and from people inside the United States with known al-Qaida ties, when the other party is outside the country.
Bush defended his actions during his speech Sunday night and during his news conference Monday. He claimed he was within his rights to do so. He also criticized the fact that the press had disclosed his actions.
Vice President Dick Cheney took the administration's defense a step further Tuesday, calling for "stronger" presidential powers and claiming there would be political fallout for those who questioned or criticized the president's actions.
Many in and out of Congress are greatly concerned about the scope and legal rationale of the administration's domestic spying program. We agree with these concerns.
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U.S. District Judge James Robertson resigned Tuesday as one of the 11 members of the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, due to his deep concerns over the Bush administration's domestic spying program action being questionable legal.
The administration's concerns about the stories about the spying operation are not valid. The initial report by the New York Times had already been withheld from publication for more than one year due to administration concerns.
The Constitution does not give the president or vice president unlimited power (such as a king or a dictator may have). The Constitution notes that the president is not above the law nor is any person in the United States.
And finally the administration had the ability within the 1978 law to utilize the secret court for approval. In fact, the secret court can grant warrants up to three days after the surveillance actually occurs. Since the secret court's creation in 1979, the FISA court has approved thousands of warrants and rejected only four.
Congress must step up to its responsibility immediately and investigate the administration's domestic spying efforts.
