That raises an interesting point, and, as usual, the White House is behind the power curve on. Specifically, when these guys are caught, the MSM and Congress will immediately being to howl like a massive choir of banshees with megaphones. The hyperbole will be off the charts, but the bottom line is that they're going to accuse the President of a 'purge' or some kind of Hitleresque 'siezing the reigns of power'.
Having laid no groundwork, and lacking any kind of testicular fortitude, the Republicans will fold under pressure like fresh laundry, and nothing will happen. The only way that the wrongdoers will be brought to justice is if -
1. The Whistleblower myth is overcome. There needs to be a constant hammering in the media now, before anyone is caught, that the whistleblower laws were not followed, and that leaking to the press is not honorable or protected. IF they had followed the whistleblower procedures, this would all be okay, but as it is, they broke the law.
2. We play the Plame Game. They don't like the comparison, which is why it needs to be stuffed down their throats at every opportunity. Given the order of magnitude of greater importance the wiretap leaks have, it's a given that we're going to investigate and get to the bottom of all this.
3. Some light is shed on the program. Since the salient points of the wiretap program have already been released, the damage is done. Now would be the time to explain to the American people that not only is this program legal, but that it's being run in a way that's not hurting anyone but Al Qaida. Release whatever oversight or internal controls there are on the program for review by newly cleared members of congress, and let them report what they find. If it's not Son of COINTELPRO, then the American people won't really care, and in fact will be happy that their government is taking aggressive but controlled measures to protect them.
The Rasmussen poll on this subject was devastating to the Dems. When a heavy majority of people believe that the President had the authority to authorize the spying, AND believe he SHOULD do it, the Dems have lost the issue.
It looks like Bush set them up like a Poker master, and now the tag of "weak on security" is tattooed on the Democrats for another 10-20 years.
Try this one on for size:
O God of earth and altar,
Bow down and hear our cry,
Our earthly rulers falter,
Our people drift and die;
The walls of gold entomb us,
The swords of scorn divide,
Take not Thy thunder from us,
But take away our pride.
From all that terror teaches,
From lies of tongue and pen,
From all the easy speeches
That comfort cruel men,
From sale and profanation
Of honor, and the sword,
From sleep and from damnation,
Deliver us, good Lord!
Tie in a living tether
The prince and priest and thrall,
Bind all our lives together,
Smite us and save us all;
In ire and exultation
Aflame with faith, and free,
Lift up a living nation,
A single sword to Thee.
--G.K. Chesterton
Cheers!
Agreed. Bush needs to spend a little time briefing the american people including the Senators names that were briefed, how he worked with the FISA courts. This could be a good teaching moment.
I would go one step further. Tell the American people that if he had not authorized the NSA surveillance he would be derelict. And that would definitely be an impeachable offense.
Your post #26 should be mandatory reading for every conservative talk show host, commentator, writer, Republican member of Congress ( at least those that haven't already gone to the dark side ) the RNC and especially Scott McClellan at the White House.
McClellan would have never had the gravitas to say what Trent Duffy said yesterday.
In fact, Trent Duffy has been doing an awesome job while Scott McClellan is on vacation-if the WH had any PR savvy, they'd elevate Duffy and allow McClellan to resign to run his mother's campaign in Texas.