"This administration reacts to anyone who questions this illegal program by saying that those of us who demand the truth and stand up for our rights and freedoms somehow has a pre-9/11 world view. In fact, the President has a pre-1776 world view. Our government has three branches, not one. And no one, not even the President, is above the law." - Senator Russ Feingold, TPM.
Watching the hearings in the early hours, I was certainly impressed with Gonzales' unflappable calm and pleasant demeanor. I was also convinced that this program is not just about national security. The way it was implemented and the manner in which it is being defended represent a calculated decision within the White House to use this war as a golden opportunity to expand executive power for a generation. There's nothing unconstitutional about that - and the hearings struck me as an almost text-book case of one branch of government bristling up against another. But that also means that those liberals and, indeed, small government conservatives, who worry about individual liberty in this country need not apologize for fighting back. And they absolutely shouldn't be intimidated by the thought that they might be endangering national security. This isn't about the program; it's about how it's being conducted and authorized. Karl Rove is intent on erasing that distinction. The rest of us have to keep insisting that he fail.