Why the domestic spying scandal is so serious....

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10530417/

This threw me off....

“As president of the United States and commander in chief I have the constitutional responsibility and the constitutional authority to protect our country,” he said in an opening statement at a year-end news conference.



Ermmm, Mr. Bush, constitutional authority? Lets take a look at the 4th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

Basically, directing a national agency to spy on United States citizens is a clear breech of US law, specifically the 4th Amendment. You can only repeat war on terror so much, you gotta get a warrant, the US government cannot be allowed to spy on its own citizens in complete secrecy like some kind of Gestapo.

Josh Marshall says Bush argument is "limitless power" because of war.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5640422

Bush's Snoopgate
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2322950

at this latest boner by Shrub and Crashcart.

They authorize domestic spying by the NSA when we already have an outfit that was apoproved for that assignment years ago. The NSA and the CIA are for military and foreign intelligence gathering. Domestic intelligence is the purview of the FBI. They have the authority for it already, the equipment and the know how. All the Schmuck brothers would have had to do was pick up the phone and call those fun guys in the J Edgar Hoover Building. But thats would have been too freaking easy.
So so....there they sit, trying to explain their way out of yet another mess, as the dreaded word "Impeachment" has finally raised its ugly head.

During the Reagan, 1st Bush and Clinton years, the issue was.....the various agencies did not speak to each other sp they tried to clean up that mess. For a while, it looked l;ike they had, but the Schmuck Bros let it all fall apart and look what they are left holding......