It's a matter of trust

I have been following the NSA wiretap scandal - Wiretapgate doesn't really fall trippingly off the tongue, does it? - because I truly believed we finally had something we could use to impeach George Bush. And while I still think that he did break the law because I do not believe his position as chief executive and commander in chief give him the legal authority to do what he did, the fact is I don't have a problem with what was actually done. Of course, that is assuming that what we've been told is true, i.e. that the wiretapping was only done when an American citizen was contacting an overseas Al-Queda terrorist or an overseas terrorist affiliated with Al-Queda. If that is true, well, I think that's a reasonable use of wiretapping despite the fact that we are sacrificing some of our freedom. The only legitimate reason I can think of for an American citizen to knowingly discuss anything with an Al-Queda terrorist is for journalistic reasons. And even then, what is point of interviewing someone whose stated purpose is the destruction of your country and its citizens?

So my conclusions:

1) I would like to see George Bush impeached for breaking the law by authorizing illegal wiretapping, but the truth is I want that for a plethora of reasons that are not related to wiretapping.

2) I would like to see this wiretapping program made legal through Congress under the assumption that they'll put safeguards in to prevent misuse. I feel this absolutely necessary because we cannot allow George Bush's interpretation of executive power to stand. It fundamentally changes the position of president in wartime and moves us closer to facism.

3) I don't trust that this is the end of this story. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez would not respond to questions about the existence of other secret programs that may or may not be legal. If Bush is willing to disregard the law to wiretap, what else has he authorized?

Like the Piano Man said, it's a matter of trust. If you trust Bush and his administration, you're probably not that concerned. If, like me, you believe we've been dealt five plus years of lies and inept leadership, it's hard to trust that this wiretap program is operating in an appropriate manner.

I have to say that I really appreciate the Republican senators who have stepped forward to say they have a problem with how this was done. It's good to see principle win over party loyalty. I think the biggest problem in politics today is party loyalty. On both sides.