Since the Bush Administration called the leak of the NSA's domestic spying program, I've been meaning to write about it. The whole issue seems to beg for comment - spying on Americans without even FISA warrants, claiming that the President had the power to ignore laws and Constituional restrictions, investigating the leak itself, and the concept that leaking is somehow more shameful than defiling the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
A lot has been written about these topics, as well as the Imperial Presidency, President Bush's insistence that he can simply get around laws he disagrees with by writing his interpretation of them on the bills he signs, similarities between President's Bush and Nixon, the importance of Supreme Court nominee Alito's work in justifying the President's spying and unalloyed grabs for power, etc...
What bothers me, though, is that we've not heard much about this characterization of the leak as "shameful" compared to any of the President's actions. How is it shameful to alert the citizens of the United States that their government is quietly spying on them in violation of both its laws and its founding principles? Why is it not shameful to lie in order to lead the nation to war? Why is it not shameful to resort to racist attacks on political opponents, as the Presidents supporters did against John McCain in the 2000 primary in South Carolina? Why is it not shameful to bomb Iraq into rubble, and then refuse to rebuild it? Why is it not shameful that over 2,000 Americans and uncounted thousands of Iraqis have died in this unnecessary war? Why is it not shameful to abandon the citizens of the Gulf Coast to their fates during hurricane season? Why is it not shameful for Republican politicians to launder money, accept bribes, and engage in other illegal activities with lobbyists?
I fail to see how leaking the Bush Administrations patently illegal domestic spying program is more shameful than any of the above activities, and those are just the low hanging fruit.
Posted by Chris at January 5, 2006 08:00 PM