Have any conservatives spoken out against Bush illegal wiretaps?

[Liberty Belle]

I'm writing an editorial for our local paper and would like to include mention of any prominent conservatives who have condemned Bush's trampling of the constitution, if any.

[Occulus]

1. Cal Thomas, I believe

It's about the only issue I've ever found myself agreeing with him.

Confused grammar, but you get the point, I'm sure.

[SkiGuy]

2. Sen. Arlen Specter

[Freddie Stubbs]

6. Although Arlen Specter is a Republican, few would classify him

as a conservative.

[tsuki]

7. I have always thought of him as a conservative leaning Moderate.

That is, he believes in the Constitution.

[Liberty Belle]

13. Do you have a link?

[SkiGuy]

14. here's one

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051216/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_nsa

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. Tucker had his bowtie in a twist the other night about this

[LisaM]

4. Bob Barr - I heard him on "Air America" this morning

He was on Stephanie Miller's show (Johnny Wendell was the substitute host.) He's practically frantic about it. He also says Arlen Specter is holding the line in the Senate.

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. George Will

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/will122005.asp

[splat@14]

8. Texas Congressman Ron Paul. I just posted his comments.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2335588

[meganmonkey]

9. Yeah, but he's a hard-core libertarian

which isn't the same as a modern-day conservative...

Sorry, I'm nitpicky today :P

[splat@14]

10. No problem! Yeah, I know. It's just refreshing to see something

other than rubber stamp politics out of anyone here in Texas that call themselves a Republican.

Give `em hell Meg!

[AndyTiedye]

11. Barrons Magazine!

Barrons magazine came out for impeachment.

AS THE YEAR WAS DRAWING TO A CLOSE, we picked up our New York Times and learned that the Bush administration has been fighting terrorism by intercepting communications in America without warrants. It was worrisome on its face, but in justifying their actions, officials have made a bad situation much worse: Administration lawyers and the president himself have tortured the Constitution and extracted a suspension of the separation of powers.

...Putting the president above the Congress is an invitation to tyranny. The president has no powers except those specified in the Constitution and those enacted by law. President Bush is stretching the power of commander-in-chief of the Army and Navy by indicating that he can order the military and its agencies, such as the National Security Agency, to do whatever furthers the defense of the country from terrorists, regardless of whether actual force is involved.

Surely the "strict constructionists" on the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary eventually will point out what a stretch this is. The most important presidential responsibility under Article II is that he must "take care that the laws be faithfully executed." That includes following the requirements of laws that limit executive power. There's not much fidelity in an executive who debates and lobbies Congress to shape a law to his liking and then goes beyond its writ.

Willful disregard of a law is potentially an impeachable offense. It is at least as impeachable as having a sexual escapade under the Oval Office desk and lying about it later. The members of the House Judiciary Committee who staged the impeachment of President Clinton ought to be as outraged at this situation. They ought to investigate it, consider it carefully and report either a bill that would change the wiretap laws to suit the president or a bill of impeachment....

http://online.barrons.com/article_email/SB113538491760731012-lMyQjAxMDE1MzI1NDMyODQ0Wj.html



I think this really is a big deal with the "have-mores".

Many of them are now imagining the consequences of their company's secrets being passed on to better-connected competitors.

The financial value of the information in the NSA's database is so huge as to guarantee that it is being misappropriated.

[sallyseven]

12. Maybe DU could alert

some businesses about their rivals getting an edge from bushie and co.

[AndyTiedye]

15. It Is Possible to Order Reprints of the Barrons Article

There is a link for that at the bottom of the page.
http://online.barrons.com/article_email/SB113538491760731012-lMyQjAxMDE1MzI1NDMyODQ0Wj.html