[JonnLeejsp]

The recent white house reversal of it's wiretapping behavior raises some interesting questions. The first question is:
if warrantless wiretaps are necessary for our national defense why is w now getting warrants? The national Review had a scathing comment on this aspect.

For the Bush administration to argue for years that this program, as operated, was critical to our national security and fell within the president's Constitutional authority, to then turnaround and surrender presidential authority this way is disgraceful. The administration is repudiating all the arguments it has made in testimony, legal briefs, and public statements. This goes to the heart of the White House's credibility.

The second thing I find interesting is the timing of the reversal. IMO this decision by w to obey the law is an effort to moot the court cases pending right now. I believe the admin's appeal of the michigan decision which slapped the pres down for his illegal taps is scheduled to be heard in about 2 weeks. Coincidence? w still claims he can bypass the FISA court any time he feels like it. If the cases are mooted and no court ever rules on the question then he is free to resume his old behavior at any time.
Of course this also takes a little of the wind from the sails of congressional intel committee investigations into the matter since w is no longer breaking the law. The committees will continue to investigate but now republicans can claim they are beating a dead horse for purely political reasons.