Rick Santorum's spokesman tells the Philadelphia Inquirer that Rick believes "that in times of war, the President has the constitutional oversight or the constitutional ability to do whatever is necessary to protect the American people," including spying on American citizens without any sort of judicial approval or oversight.
Really Rick? Well then, who gets to decide exactly what qualifies as "whatever is necessary?" The king President?
Under Rick's interpretation, couldn't Nixon have claimed that he wanted to bug the offices of the Democratic National Committee because we were fighting in Vietnam and he thought that Democrats presented a threat to the American people?
Here are excerpts from the Inquirer:
Key members of Congress from the Philadelphia region voiced skepticism yesterday about President Bush's contention that he has the legal authority to eavesdrop on U.S. citizens and others without judicial review.
Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Pa.), though, said the President needed leeway in fighting terrorist threats to the nation.
...Santorum, a member of the Senate GOP leadership, had no qualms.
"The senator recognizes that in times of war, the President has the constitutional oversight or the constitutional ability to do whatever is necessary to protect the American people," Santorum spokesman Robert L. Traynham said. "He fully supports the President's ability to protect American lives by going this step in terms of listening in on conversations."
"Listening in on conversations" makes it sound so quaint doesn't it? He was just listening in on some converations. I mean, c'mon, what's the big deal here? It's not like he was taking notes or anything.
