Progressive Minds

Is the United States Congress preparing to declare George W. Bush above the law?

That's the signal coming from Sen. Arlen Specter, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Specter says that Congress and the White House are close to an agreement that would write Bush's illegal warrantless domestic spy program into law.

Previously, BushCo. has said they were not looking for Congress' blessing on the warrantless spy program.  In fact, back in March, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Congress didn't need to act on the program.

But Sen. Specter and others have said Bush's warrantless spy program makes end runs around a 1978 law that requires the government to get approval from the FISA court before spying on Americans.

The very idea that the United States Congress would retroactively write George Bush's illegal behavior into law is very disturbing, to say the least.

Of course, in our system of checks and balances, the United States Congress has oversight of the executive branch.

And if they were to retroactively write the warrantless spy program into law, they would be rewarding George Bush for his disreguard for our Constitution.  They would be rewarding his illegal behavior.

When Presidents break laws, we consider impeachment proceedings against them.  We don't retroactively write their illegality into law.

Specter: Agreement on eavesdropping near

Gonzales: Congress doesn't need to act on NSA program