Finally, evidence that at least one branch of our government is still operating as it should. Today, a federal judge ruled that the free-ranging wiretapping program ordered by the White House to spy on Americans without a warrant is unconstitutional, and ordered that it be terminated immediately. Even though this is kind of a “duh” moment — I would think it is self-evident that wiretaps without warrants are illegal — it is a victory for those of us who still value the Bill of Rights.

The Bush administration, naturally, disagrees with the ruling and has already appealed the decision.

Read the article on CNN.

In an unprecedented move, Bush has blocked the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) from obtaining clearance for gathering evidence on the illegal NSA surveillance program. Effectively, the president has blocked the Justice Department’s investigation into who authorized what and whether or not it was illegal, proving once again that apparently this administration is above the law and no one’s going to do anything about it. His denial to the OPR is the first of its kind in history. From the article:

“Since its creation some 31 years ago, OPR has conducted many highly sensitive investigations involving Executive Branch programs and has obtained access to information classified at the highest levels,” chief lawyer H. Marshall Jarrett wrote in a memorandum released Tuesday. “In all those years, OPR has never been prevented from initiating or pursuing an investigation.”

I think it’s quite clear at this point that Bush has abused his power at least as much as Nixon. Why, then, isn’t anything truly being done about it? Welcome to the new communist state. The government gets away with anything under the guise of “national security.”