Bush's Shrinking Safety Zone

[tw]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

But that's not a part of the executive order.

These members of the executive branch surrender their right of privacy as part of the job. That does not mean they can be wiretapped at any time. I never fully understood the legalities. But it does permit an executive order to authorize that wiretap of Ames. A president has no right to wiretap ordinary citizens using executive order. A president must get permission from the courts. Otherwise Nixon's bugging of Watergate could have been completely legal.

A president cannot authorize domestic wiretapping without judicial approval. Nixon got (he claimed) authority from British common law where the king was above the law. Apparently George Jr gets his authority from god - because the Constitution does not give him such powers.

Meanwhile, Rush Limbaugh says otherwise. Rush Limbaugh - who gets White House talking points - says you have no expectation of privacy. George Jr, through his propaganda machine Limbaugh, says he has power to wiretap anyone he wants. Apparently from the same powers that permit him to torture as he sees fit and that told him to invade Iraq.