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So what do you all think about this decison. I think it is a great leap for our constitution, but i wana know (and debate) with what you guys believe....

But what if they do find terrorists through this method. In my opinion it is worth the invasion of privacy. This method could have stopped another 9/11. But, of course, some people are to narrow minded. If only the citizens of the USA would open its eyes and start worrying about someone other then theirselves. Wouldn't that be the day.

Exactly. To say that wanting to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America no matter the cost is unAmerican or unpatriotic is the most hypocritical piece of right-wing propaganda I could possibly, ever imagine.

No. If you truly loved your country and wanted to protect it, you would ask why President Bush didn't go through FISA to set up his wiretapping, and instead took matters into his own hands.

You would ask why, since FISA was set up to basically just be a legal rubber-stamp for anyone the government thinks should be monitored, and that they have to date turned down fewer tapping proposals than I can count on two hands, would President Bush try to bypass FISA and do it himself?

Because it takes too long? No, that's the definition of "rubber-stamp". Proposal goes in, court says yes, the end.

Because it is a state of national emergencey? No, that's why the speed court was set up in the first place.

As far as I can see, there are only two reasons the Bush Administration would set up what they knew damn well to be completely illegal and unconstitutional monitoring devices without getting FISA approval:

1.) They knew they would not get FISA approval. This means that they had no proof whatsoever to hold up in court implicating their intended targets as anything at all but fine, upstanding Americans.

For example, the doctors, lawyers, and other professionals who were monitored solely because of their over-seas contacts.

2.) Vice d**k has made no secret of his feelings that the office of the presidency doesn't have enough power nowadays, and everything this administration has done so far has been trying to set legal precedents to grant the President more sole power.

For example, if the courts declared this wiretapping incident legal and okay, that is setting a dangerous precedent that would allow Bush and any following President to illegally spy on citizens without reason, and possibly destroy the Fourth Amendment.

You want to talk narrow-minded? How about holding the belief that doing something illegally is the only way to do it right? How about the belief that only through the violation of one's citizens can one protect them?

Your priorities need some serious re-working.

I never actually said I supported the fact that Bush didn't do it legaly. He should have. But thats not the point. They only do this to people who they have reason to believe are terrorists. If that was not the case, I would not support this in the least.

first, prove that statement, without watchdogs why not just use it on political enemies (makes me think, hmmmm, watergate)... The thing is, even terrorists have rights, as much as i hate to say that, and the constitution protects them

During a war, the rules change. We are in a war. I, personally, do not want more people to die. If we don't do some things that may be against the constitution, people will die. Many people. We could have another 9/11.
Upon further thought, however, what the hell, why not. It sure helped us before, at the cost of many many inocent lives. Lets just let these people die. What if some of these people are you siblings, perhaps your parents, or other family. I can garrentee that if you had family die on 9/11, most people would think differently. They would agree that we need to be as careful as possible. But I do believe that only people who have more then just over sea contacts should be watched. Although some of those people could possibly be terrorists, there needs to be more then just that against them.

Who cares whether or not congress will admit it. We are at war. Thats the sad truth. You'd have to be pretty narrow minded not to see that.
As for the constitution, I personally think it should be trashed and rewritted as it has been twisted so much that it is all but worthless now.
And notice that I said there should have been more proof then just oversea contacts. I'm not saying there shouldn't be. Even so, if I had been one of the people that had been watched, I would have dealt with it, as I would have known that it was helping my country.
And I am sorry for the loss of your family.

really? oh, ok, its good to see that you admit that dubya is a criminal, has no respect for the rule of law, and that the wiretapping he conducted was legally and morally unjustifiable.