GOP attempting to capitalize on wiretap ruling

WASHINGTON -- "This week's federal court ruling that declared President Bush's warrantless wiretapping program unconstitutional was a blow to the administration and a victory for its critics. But in a reversal, it's Republicans who are highlighting the decision and Democrats who are sidestepping it.

"A day after a Detroit judge said the president 'blatantly disregarded' the Constitution when he authorized the domestic surveillance program, top Republicans issued a stream of memos discussing her ruling and released a new Web ad accusing Democrats of being against 'terrorist surveillance.'

"Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman headlined the issue in an e-mail sent Friday to supporters around the country.

"'Yesterday, a Democrat-appointed judge in Detroit sided with the ACLU and ordered an immediate halt to the terrorist surveillance program,' Mehlman wrote. 'This decision is a reminder of what is at stake in 2006. Will we use every tool in our arsenal to respond to emerging threats, or embrace the Democrat-ACLU position that just made it harder for our intelligence agencies to detect terrorist plots inside the United States?'

"Bush seemed eager to take it on during a brief session with reporters at Camp David.

"'Those who herald this decision simply do not understand the nature of the world in which we live,' Bush said, pounding the lectern ..."
Chicago Tribune

Tagged: civil+rights, privacy, bush, war+on+terror, terrorism, usa