President Bush wants to open your mail!

[Pat McCotter]

The thought of Dick Cheney as President is likely to kill any ideas of impeachment anybody might have.

Nancy Pelosi is next in line after Cheney.

[Rocketman]

The thought of Dick Cheney as President is likely to kill any ideas of impeachment anybody might have.

Nancy Pelosi is next in line after Cheney.

If anybody gets impeached, I expect it will be Cheney, for backroom Halliburton deals and/or intelligence fixing.  Bush could also be impeached depending on what charges the committees can stick to him, but they wouldn't impeach Bush without also impeaching Cheney. 

"Double Impeachment" could happen, but the vast majority of Americans wouldn't want Pelosi as president, so impeachment could pave the way for another Republican in the white house.  Watch the democrats tiptoe along on this one, their fingers in the air to check fluctuations in public opinion.

The fiercest Bush critics will get their day in the sun soon enough, and a lot will depend on what comes out.  If the evidence appears damning, don't be too surprised if some Republicans agree to dump Cheney (if not Bush).  That would give them 1+ years to redefine their party before election season rolls around.

[Dreepa]

Of course, limits.

Limits like only intercepting mail sent internationally to known terrorists who are plotting major murderous attacks on US citizens and interests?

Why can't they get a warrant?
There are even 'secret' judges that they can get the warrants from.

Or was it ok to do the Watergate break in? I mean no one got hurt right?

[mvpel]

If you are saying that war should be waged with an army of lawyers and paperwork, instead of "lean, mean, killing machines" and their support staff, then you're saying that war should not be waged at all.

The President already has the legal authority to kill an enemy soldier in combat, in the unlikely event he ever found himself in that situation, as Commander in Chief of the military, and folks are in a stew over opening the mail of those enemies, and their support staff?

I know there's some people who believe that to be true, in all circumstances regardless of the situation, but as I'm sure everyone here knows, I don't hold that to be a rational belief, so don't bother if that's all you've got to say about it.

Admittedly, I have a hard time conceiving of what an "exigent" circumstance would be involving mail delivery.  Perhaps another anthrax situation?

[Dreepa]

If you are saying that war should be waged with an army of lawyers and paperwork, instead of "lean, mean, killing machines" and their support staff, then you're saying that war should not be waged at all.

What I am saying is that this power, that the Constitution does not allow (read 4th Amend), will eventually be used to inflitrate all sorts of groups that have nothing to do with the 'war on terror'.... Remember Tricky Dick and the FBI back in those days?

[TEBON]

If you are saying that war should be waged with an army of lawyers and paperwork, instead of "lean, mean, killing machines" and their support staff, then you're saying that war should not be waged at all.

The President already has the legal authority to kill an enemy soldier in combat, in the unlikely event he ever found himself in that situation, as Commander in Chief of the military, and folks are in a stew over opening the mail of those enemies, and their support staff?

I know there's some people who believe that to be true, in all circumstances regardless of the situation, but as I'm sure everyone here knows, I don't hold that to be a rational belief, so don't bother if that's all you've got to say about it.

Admittedly, I have a hard time conceiving of what an "exigent" circumstance would be involving mail delivery.  Perhaps another anthrax situation?

no, they're saying that everyone has the right to die of anthrax in the mail.  It's their property.

[error]

Very few people are complaining about the government stopping anthrax envelopes and parcel post bombs from Ted Kaczynski.

Few people are complaining about the government opening mail to and from Osama bin Laden.

The problem here is that exigent circumstances could be just about anything. In the past, the government has opened mail of civil rights activists, Vietnam War protesters and the like. This is the authority the President appears to be claiming.

[Russell Kanning]

Doesn't Dick Cheney hand deliver mail to Osama?

[TEBON]

Very few people are complaining about the government stopping anthrax envelopes and parcel post bombs from Ted Kaczynski.

Few people are complaining about the government opening mail to and from Osama bin Laden.

The problem here is that exigent circumstances could be just about anything. In the past, the government has opened mail of civil rights activists, Vietnam War protesters and the like. This is the authority the President appears to be claiming.

I was being sarcastic. . . .perhaps the government will eventually open every envelope, reseal them in nice neat "usps" envelopes, charge you a buck more to send a friggin letter, and put a brief synopsis on the envelope of what's inside,

USPS patriotically brings you a letter from :  Your Mommy
USPS patriotically brings you a package containing :  Debbie Does Dallas VHS

[error]

Just FYI, postal workers don't like this either.

Postal Workers United Against Tyranny

Postal Workers United is a group of American postal workers of all crafts committed to exposing the crimes of the Bush administration, specifically as they relate to his unlawful surveillance of innocent Americans without warrants, including the opening of our mail.

[Atlas]

What's next, a video camera outside/in my house?

[error]

Video camera, microphone and telescreen.