What's the Big Deal?

Yesterday the news media reported that President Bush had admited authorizing the NSA to spy on American citizens. Gotta love the spin by the media. Whenever you say that someone has "admited" something, you imply their guilt. Perhaps a more accurate statement would be that Bush openly acknowledged wire taps on the international conversations of about 30 American citizens. This isn't as attention grabbing, but more accurate. Of course, let's be honest... the media is a business and they make more profit from sensational headlines than from accurately reporting the news.

But perhaps the question should be asked, "what's the big deal over these wire taps?" Read "The Puzzle Palace" by James Bamford and you'll see that the American government has been doing exactly this for about 80 years. The key that makes it legal is that it is an international conversation. Provided it terminates in a foreign country, it would seem to be legal. Indeed, if Bush has authorized 30 wiretaps, it displays a level of restraint almost unheard of in the past. You might not like the implications, but it is perfectly consistent with American practice since before World War 2. The American Senators who are protesting are surely aware of all of this, but it would seem many of them are just trying to make some political mileage at Bush's expense.