[Miss Marple]

I think you aren't understanding what happened.

Perhaps I am wrong, but it seems that this is a ploy to deny the democrats a way to get at the information, and to keep the information from being sent to terrorists, via people like Leahy.

Why you would take the opinion of a radio talk show host, even one who is a lawyer, over the actions of a President who has demonstrated time and time again that he has nothing but the safety of this nation at heart is simply beyond me.

[oceanview]

get at what information? the details of the taps? how was congress going to get those had the entire program been vested in the executive branch? any leakers in the executive branch, are still there. all that has happened here, is adding the FISA layer back.

the existence of the program was already leaked, so that secret is out.

[Cold Heat]

Yeah, there are a lot of issues here that were in play for the decision. The one that gets my attention the most is the fact that SCOTUS has already clamped down on Bush's use of his Article II powers, regarding the Hamdi suit and the detention center in Cuba.

A president can't use these powers in a democracy for ever, and it was just a matter of time before he would have had to relinquish this one. The court did likewise during WWII.

i think we have very little to worry about in this instance, and the program is still quite functional. It would have been better if it were secret, but that was blown long ago.