MercuryNews.com | 12/18/2005 | Bush defends spying in U.S.
"The president ordered the NSA to act without approval from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court, a special federal tribunal created in 1978 to authorize domestic counterterrorism operations.
``I don't understand why that wasn't used,'' said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond School of Law. ``Congress has clearly provided for what was going on. It seems to be that that procedure should have been followed.''
In a Democratic response, Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., called Bush's address a ``shocking admission'' and demanded that he halt the program immediately.
``The president believes that he has the power to override the laws that Congress has passed,'' Feingold said. ``This is not how our democratic system of government works. The president does not get to pick and choose which laws he wants to follow.
``He is a president, not a king.''"
- posted by geoff @ #