There's Sense

Then there's nonsense. This is nonsense. AP (09.05.06):

"A government lawyer used a dramatic scenario of a nuclear attack on Washington to illustrate his arguments Tuesday in defense of President Bush's warrantless wiretapping program. Anthony Coppolino, a special litigation counsel based in Washington, said the Constitution gives Bush the right as commander in chief to do what is necessary to surveil terrorists and stop them from attacking the United States, including interrogating someone who might have information about an imminent attack." Lawyer Defends Wiretapping Program

"'Suppose for example the president obtains intelligence that a nuclear bomb was planted ... right there in Washington, and the only way he was going to find out whether that was going to happen was to grab the person and interrogate him,' Coppolino said in U.S. District Court in Manhattan. 'Would that be in his constitutional authority? I would say so.'" But what Tony neglected to say was that given those facts, there isn't a judge in this country who wouldn't instantaneously issue a warrant. "Coppolino said Bush did not need to check with Congress first to monitor phone conversations of suspected terrorism operatives because the Constitution directly gives him the 'power to detect the activities of an enemy attempting to attack the United States.'" Which is absolutely true. But what Tony again negelected to mention was that there isn't a judge in this country who wouldn't instantaneously issue a warrant as long as there was probable cause to believe those individuals were in fact "suspected terrorism operatives". Aye. And therein lies the crux. Damn that pesky Fourth Amendment.