Did Bush willingly commit a ZOT? Please say it ain't so

[always thr constitution]

I have been arguing with stupid libs for two days saying that Bush committed no crime because under the provisions of the USSID 18 and the FSIA, he could with perfect legitimacy eavesdrop on aliens involved in terrorist activities if he had AG approval.

However, what was puzzling is that Gonzales did not cite USSID 18; he cited the more dubious rationale of war powers approval. This would seem to indicate that Bush was spying on US citizens without a Court Order which clearly violates USSID 18 and the FSIA, and was using war powers approval to cover for it.

Now such actions are not unprecedented during wartime; however, since there has been no officiial declaration of war, there seems to be Constitutional as well as legal issues at work here.

I never thought Bush would resort to such extreme measures to skirt the law. I hope I am wrong. Please tell me why Bush didn't do this.

[SittinYonder]

Been a long time since I've seen a real, honest to goodness troll.

Merry Christmas!

[add925]

[Dashing Dasher]

That's no bunny!

[WhiteGuy]

Please Linda, you're going to ruin a perfectly good "troll frenzy"

[Antoninus]

Ave et vale!

[mware]

A newbie I see.

IBTZ

Here is what I think.

[novembersurprise]

"I have been arguing with stupid libs for two days ..."

Don't you mean stoopid libs? Kinda gave the game away on that one snowflake.

[wideawake]

I to tha B to that T to tha Z

[avg_freeper]

always thr(ow up) constitution
always th(orazine) constitution
always thr(ottle) constitution
always th(ird) constitution

[Jersey Republican Biker Chick]

It's dead!

[darkwing104]

That's no bunny!

You just blew his cover!...No soup for you!

[Moose4]

That's no bunny, it's a space station!

}:-)4

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Title 50 of the U.S. Code, Chapter 36, Subchapter I, Section 1802, "Electronic surveillance authorization without court order," reads: "[T]he President, through the Attorney General, may authorize electronic surveillance without a court order under this subchapter to acquire foreign intelligence information for periods of up to one year," provided a series of conditions are met.

Passed by the Democrats in Congress and signed by Jimmy Carter in 1978. So it's OK.

[Michael Goldsberry]

[EX52D]

[Dashing Dasher]

Not even the mulligatawny?

[Eva]

Why don't you just ask Bill Clinton what the reasoning was when he authorized the the wire taps and email surveillance. I bet he can give you a good explanation of why it is legal for the POTUS to do this for national security. But then you didn't really want the answer, did you?

[Dashing Dasher]

Now, that's a bunny with a pancake on it's head.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Title 50 of the U.S. Code, Chapter 36, Subchapter I, Section 1802, "Electronic surveillance authorization without court order," reads: "[T]he President, through the Attorney General, may authorize electronic surveillance without a court order under this subchapter to acquire foreign intelligence information for periods of up to one year," provided a series of conditions are met.

Passed by the Democrats in Congress and signed by Jimmy Carter in 1978. So it's OK.

Haven't heard this discussed yet.