[gondramB]

>>SO?<<

Hmmm constitutional protections don’t apply if the President or another high official authorizes the action... I can see a dangerous precedent... what if a high official decides that gun rights or freedom of speech or the press don’t apply?

[cdnerds]

Cant Obama simply de-classify things to get away with it??

[Sequoyah101]

I was only being flip and sarcastic.

You are correct and I had not considered that one.

I have to wonder if there is not something equally illegal about releasing such.

I bet the SOBs are having a field day rifling the secret documents of the nation.

[VanShuyten]

This was not for criminal prosecution. This was to interrupt an attack on the United States. This is not much different than asking the military to shoot down an aircraft that poses a known threat to the US.

[af_vet_rr]

Hmmm constitutional protections don’t apply if the President or another high official authorizes the action... I can see a dangerous precedent... what if a high official decides that gun rights or freedom of speech or the press don’t apply?

What's even worse is if put it in the context of being at war, especially since we are in a war that has no end, and we have liberals running things.

People may say that Bush's administration was trying to protect America, but if we accept that certain freedoms have to be given up for wartime reasons, and we are in a war without end, then we have, for all intents and purposes, permanently given up those freedoms.

It's compounded by the fact that liberals are running the White House and Congress these days. I don't trust them with that kind of power.

[TeleStraightShooter]

I can see a dangerous precedent...

IMO the precedent in question (no warrants required for security based surveillance (not criminal surveillance) was set a long time ago, when our USC was written.

I refer you to post #194; It was not until 1978 under FISA that congress even claimed security surveillance operations that might require a warrant when it involved US Citizens or terrorists on US soil.

And that congressional FISA claim has been slapped down by the courts 5 times.