A sad affair indeed...

On December 17, 2005, President Bush, in essence, confessd to high crimes and misdemeanors in a nationally televised speech. These high crimes and misdemeanors involve the authorization of domestic surveillance operations to be conducted by the NSA.

Such operations, however are violations of federal law unless conducted under the auspices of Title III and FISA which,

“shall be the exclusive means by which electronic surveillance ... and the interception of domestic wire and oral communications may be conducted.”

In other words, in the absence of Congressional action (in the form of legislation), President Bush lacked the authority to order such operations. Despite Administration claims that S.J. Resolution 23 of 9/14/01, authorizing military action in Afghanistan, grants the President the authority to conduct such operations, there is no language contained in the resolution that may even be construed as granting such authority.

These actions are an affront to, and violation of, the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution which states,

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

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This abuse of power by President Bush, for that is what it is...no point in mincing words...If left unchallenged and unchecked, will be be our undoing. Previous actions of this Administration have sorely tested the Cosntitutional underpinnings of this Republic. If these abuses of power are not stopped...now...the Constitution will not be worth the match it would take to burn it. After all, President Bush has, by some accounts, described the Constitution as nothing more than "...A goddamned piece of paper...".

The truly appaling thing though, is not the brazen manner in which the President has attempted to place himself above the law, but that it seems so many will so cravenly acquiesce to this unwarranted and illegal invasion of their lives. Particularly when so many of those individuals have decried the intrusion of "big government" into their lives in the past. This craven acceptance of unbridled power is an insult to the sacrifices made in defense of liberty by every American from the Revolutionary War to the present day. And to those who willingly, even cheerfully, accept this abuse of power, I say, "Line up. Your yokes and shackles await you."