Reply #32: he didn't have a choice [View All]

he could deny it, and have the NYT make him out to be a liar, or admit it and try to sell the whole thing as one of the essential tools any president must have in a time of war. Maybe he believes he can play the 9/11/"war on terror" card one more time and get away with it, but I don't think that's going to work.

I think a lot of folks are coming to the conclusion that his people didn't go to the FISA court for warrants they knew they couldn't get. Given how seldom a wiretap request has been refused by the FISA court, it's a safe bet that they weren't snooping on valid targets. Given Karl Rove's history for dirty campaign tricks, I'd been surprised if those targets didn't include the Kerry campaign. Imagine how that revelation would go over with the American public. Watergate parallels, anyone? It's the sort of thing that would be slimy and illegal if one Presidential candidate did it to another when neither were the incumbent; for a sitting President to abuse the power of his office to do such a thing... go to jail, go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200.