It's always with a sense of aggravation that I routinely watch cable news. The lack of the use of the word ILLEGAL in the context of "illegal wiretapping" is staggering. I've seen "wiretap flap" on CNN; "spies like U.S." on MSNBC; and raving cult followers on Fox trying to attack anyone and everyone who ISN'T the president.
Of course we all want to thwart terrorist plots against us and our allies. But there's a process of attaining a go-ahead from the secret FISA court in order to do so. It's the law. Plain and simple. That process has been ignored by Bushie due to his imperial and dictatorial hubris.
So I urge you... As you wind your way through various holiday gatherings, when this topic comes up, the word is "illegal". Use it, know it, embrace it. ILLEGAL wiretaps. ILLEGAL spying. The president broke the law and violated the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution and should be impeached immediately for these actions. If he's allowed to continue this behavior without penalty, the consequences for our democratic-republic will be dire.
What if, for the sake of national security, Bush decided to cancel the midterm elections? If the Democrats appear to have the poll numbers to take back the House, Bush could argue that a change in leadership might embolden the terrorists to attack us. He could claim that a political shift here might prevent him from doing what needs to in order to fight his war on terror.
Executive power is designed to be checked by two other branches of government. The framers had a reason for detailing the role of the Executive Branch in Article II -- with the Legislative placed in the prioritized Article I. It's because they valued the Legislative over the Executive. They fought a harrowing revolutionary war in order to combat an overzealous executive leader.