NSA Wiretapping / Dems Demise

Scott Johnson and Paul Mirengoff at Powerline rebut the decision of Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in the NSA case here and here.

The democratic party seems to be convinced that they want to take this important national security issue head on. I'm not sure what motivates them to expose such a weakness. While many in this nation may be (justifiably) impatient with the conflicts on the ground in Iraq, most understand what is at stake. The Lefts policy of "change in direction" isn't anything more than "Let us have a go at it" and "we can do better". Their "fold the tent" and bring the troops home now attitude is a recipe for disaster and the weakness in our armor the terrorist are looking for.

And this is a Global War on Terrorism-- and the left just refuse to admit it.

Anna Diggs Taylor, (a Jimmy Carter appointee), and the ACLU,Greenpeace, and Christopher Hitchens gang have got their hands full on Constitutional Law and Presidential Powers in a time of war.

Bring it on!

Update: The Justice Department said the National Security Agency's terrorist surveillance program authorized by President Bush was "an essential tool for the intelligence community" in the nation's ongoing war on terror. It called the program "a critical tool that ensures we have in place an early warning system to detect and prevent a terrorist attack. "In the ongoing conflict with al Qaeda and its allies, the president has the primary duty under the Constitution to protect the American people," the department said. "The Constitution gives the president the full authority necessary to carry out that solemn duty, and we believe the program is lawful and protects civil liberties."

Todays Washington Times reports:

White House spokesman Tony Snow said that the Bush administration's program, implemented after the September 11 terrorist attacks, is "firmly grounded in law and regularly reviewed to make sure steps are taken to protect civil liberties" and that the administration "couldn't disagree more" with the judge's ruling. "Last week, America and the world received a stark reminder that terrorists are still plotting to attack our country and kill innocent people," Mr. Snow said. "United States intelligence officials have confirmed that the program has helped stop terrorist attacks and saved American lives.

"The program is carefully administered, and only targets international phone calls coming into or out of the United States where one of the parties on the call is a suspected al Qaeda or affiliated terrorist," he said. "The whole point is to detect and prevent terrorist attacks before they can be carried out. That's what the American people expect from their government, and it is the president's most solemn duty to ensure their protection."

Demise = Democratic Party