But regardless- the government has the power to put people in jail and use violent force. I’m going to guess that Martin Luther King was more concerned with the FBI spying on him than ATT.

You have a point here, I think — but I also think a lot of the concern over the current wiretapping is the breadth of the sweep, which doesn’t seem comparable to the 1977 Carter case. I’m not comfortable with warrantless surveillance in general, but IIRC, even the FISA law does provide for it, provided that there’s a reasonable belief a warrant would have been granted based on the specifics of the case. Based on the Bush administration’s own figures, in the current scenario, we’re talking about 10 good leads in the last few years out of thousands of taps per year (and those taps are, in fact, based on millions of automated “keyword” scans). So I think it’s important to consider, at the very least, whether the current surveillance scheme is circumventing FISA precisely because of an administration belief that the warrants would never be granted, even after the fact.

Also, as to your last comment: with all due respect, granting a president a specific power that you acknowledge has a wide potential for abuse because you trust that particular person to use that power wisely is a terrible idea. The powers are not being granted to the person, they are being granted to the office. Any time you think that a given power is a good idea, ask yourself if you would stillthink it was a good idea if John Kerry had won the last election, or if Hillary Clinton wins the next. If your answer becomes “no,” then the power is not a good idea.

Sources in the government disagree with your assessment:

Bush Administration uses U.S. Army to spy on war critics.
Bush Administration uses FBI to spy on war critics.
Bush Administration forced to turn over records revealing FBI is spying on Bush critics.
Bush Administration uses Pentagon to spy on Bush critics.
The Bush Administration may have wiretapped a CNN reporter.
Gen. Michael Hayden refused to answer question about spying on political enemies at National Press Club.
http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/2/6/1628/90153

I have to say I find this quote to be a bit chilling: Preston it’s because I believe our President has the best interest of our country and its citizens in his heart and mind. You’re probably right yet the Founding Fathers recognized the dangers of power and developed a government that dispersed that power- even if all of the wiretapping is indeed focused on al Qaeda the powers of the Executive branch must be balanced.

I strongly believe the President is using this authority as he has described it: to monitor foreign communications from known al Queda contacts and leads.

I don’t believe, as many on the Left and some on the Right have illogically jumped to, that the President is using this same authority outside of that constraint. I think it’s a huge leap and shows an amazing degree of cyniscim to think that the President is using this constitutional authority to monitor ordinary citizens in any other fashion.

So, let me correct your initial but flawed question:

“…is this really the country you want to live in where the executive can tap foreign phone calls from known al Queda contacts or leads with no counter balance?”

Because that’s what’s really happening. And the answer is “Yes”, that’s precisely the kind of country I want to live in. One with a President that is doing every thing he is legally allowed to do in order to protect the citizens of his country — despite an obstructionist minority party.

I’m not advocating nor would I support in anyway the President being able to conduct warrantless domestic spying on American citizens. But that’s not what’s happening here.

You think it will lead to that. I don’t.

What’s the difference between giving the President this authority and allowing him to search the homes of anyone while they are not there? Just because the technology makes it easier it doesn’t change the principles.

It’s ironic that the right claims that terrorists hate us for our freedom.

The 4th Circuit court ruled unanimously in 1977 that the executive branch has the “inherent authority” to wiretap enemies such as terror plotters and is excused from obtaining warrants when surveillance is “conducted ‘primarily’ for foreign intelligence reasons.”

Now, as you probalby also know (but just hate to admit), the only way Congress could legitimately curtail that authority, is through an amendment to the Constitution.

Which they haven’t done.

As badly as the Left wants the President to have broken the law, he hasn’t. And saying it over and over again doesn’t make it true.

And the Bush broke the law and ignored the law because he believes he is above the law – that he IS the law. Well, he is not and an honest conservative would know that this is another step toward authoritarinaism. Save Democracy – vote Democratic.