More good news for you lefties.

[road kill]

You still haven't answered the question about investigations and prosecutions about admitted lawbreaking with warrantless wiretapping and torture.

Define warrantless?

Some feel they are warranted!!

just sayin'

[YardleyLabs]

yeah guys lets get FDR for warrantless wiretapping, since after all he did start it.

There's a good article on the history of wiretapping at http://hnn.us/articles/366.html. Until 1967, wiretapping was not considered to fall under Constitutional prohibitions unless wiretaps were installed as part of a B&E operation. It was only made illegal at the Federal level in 1933 but Presidents from Roosevelt through Nixon routinely interpreted the law as not impeding their ability to conduct wiretaps for national security purposes where the results of the wiretaps would not be used in prosecution. In response to Edgar Hoover's abuses, particularly directed against the civil rights movement, the Supreme Court reversed an earlier decision from the 30's to broaden Constitutional protections against wire taps. After the obvious abuses by the Nixon administration,

Federal laws were made much more restrictive as well. The Clinton administration sought to broaden its ability to use wire taps for national security but was rebuffed by Congress. Bush chose simply to ignore the laws restricting wiretaps on the theory that they unduly interfered with the President's powers to conduct war. The limits of these claimed presidential powers have not been tested fully in court in part because Congress has acted to broaden the powers of the President in ways to make the issue moot.

It will be interesting to see how this issue evolves over time. Personally, I do not trust government whether I voted for the current President or not and hope that governmental powers are always interpreted restrictively.

[Steve Amrein]

Wasn't this about Chrysler ????? We have 200 non productive threads about water boarding and wiretaps. Cant wait to hear what Nancy new and when they start or wire taps I am sure she will be the first to condemn until the memo comes out.

I guess its just like Sat. nite live is back on Bush and Cheney.