When I think this administration can't get any worse they prove me wrong. They have taken to spying of US citizens. But not only are they spying on US citizens, which is against Federal law because Nixon did the same thing and they passed laws against it, but they admit it and are proud of it. Even Republicans are waking up to the monster they have spawned.

Chris Nelson writes . . .

by now you will have, or should have, read a great deal about the revelation that President Bush authorized domestic surveillance of US citizen's phone calls and other conversations, inside the US, fairly clearly in direct contravention of US laws, including laws his Administration had just passed...a question, or charge, on which Congressional Republicans are feeling sufficient "heat" that a real investigation may actually take place next year. Both senior House Republican leader Tom Davis, a fundamentally decent man with a sense of shame, and Senate Judiciary chair Arlen Specter, who has more frequently stood up to the extreme right of his party, have said that since serious legal and constitutional issues are now before Congress, that the American people deserve a real investigation, with real answers.

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Bush’s Snoopgate
The president was so desperate to kill The New York Times’ eavesdropping story, he summoned the paper’s editor and publisher to the Oval Office. But it wasn’t just out of concern about national security.

Finally we have a Washington scandal that goes beyond sex, corruption and political intrigue to big issues like security versus liberty and the reasonable bounds of presidential power. President Bush came out swinging on Snoopgate—he made it seem as if those who didn’t agree with him wanted to leave us vulnerable to Al Qaeda—but it will not work. We’re seeing clearly now that Bush thought 9/11 gave him license to act like a dictator, or in his own mind, no doubt, like Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War.

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  thanks to firedoglake

The NY Times broke the story but they knew about this before that last election. Maybe Bush wouldn't be President if the Times had done it's job of reporting instead of covering up. Spying on US citizens was made a crime because of the abuse under Nixon. The abuses continue. They aren't spying on terrorists, they are spying on environmental, animal rights, peace and social justice groups as well as gay groups.

Wiretap Mystery: Spooks React

All of the sigint specialists emphasized repeatedly that keeping tabs on Americans is way beyond the bounds of what they ordinarily do -- no matter what the conspiracy crowd may think. "It's drilled into you from minute one that you should not ever, ever, ever, under any fucking circumstances turn this massive apparatus on an American citizen," one source says. "You do a lot of weird shit. But at least you don't fuck with your own people."

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  thanks to Eschaton

Here is some conjecture on why this is also very different.

Analog vs. Digital Snooping: Is This Bush's Distinction?

And the fascist apologizers seem to forget some of out history.

Civil liberties don’t matter much ‘after you’re dead,’ Cornyn says on spy case

“None of your civil liberties matter much after you’re dead,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a former judge and close ally of the president who sits on the Judiciary Committee. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), who has led a bipartisan filibuster against a reauthorization of the Patriot Act, quoted Patrick Henry, an icon of the American Revolution, in response: “Give me liberty or give me death.”

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  thanks to daily KOS

The bottom line is that Bush is admitting to breaking Federal law by claiming he is above the law. I don't think this defense will work.

Congressman calls for Bush impeachment

  thanks to Eschaton

I would wager that Bush, like Nixon, isn't going to finish out his term of office.