George W. Bush: Spies R Us

I haven't yet commented on the domestic spying controversy, but here are a few good posts that I recommend:

-- Liberal Oasis on checks, balances, and fighting terrorism.

-- The Carpetbagger Report on the "awfully strong" "evidence of wrongdoing".

-- TAPPED on "The Marshall Plan," in reference to Marshall "Bull Moose" Wittmann's argument that Democrats shouldn't pursue this issue for fear of being labelled soft on national security.

(You're right, Moose, this isn't 1984. But is Orwellian totalitarianism the standard by which we now judge infringements of individual liberty? Like the Carpetbagger, I'm not yet ready to call for impeachment, and I may never be, but something is seriously wrong here -- if this is all about protecting the American people from jihadist evildoers, why spy on groups like PETA?)

-- Andrew Sullivan (guest-blogger Julian) on the Fourth Amendment and "the NSA eavesdropping program" -- a response to Orin Kerr at The Volokh Conspiracy (a lot of legalese, but worth the slog).

-- The Anonymous Liberal on the Bush Administration's "ridiculous" and "radical" arguments in its own defence (and on its "surprisingly weak and remarkably audacious" "legal position"). See also Political Animal.

-- The Next Hurrah on the unreasonableness of it all.

-- Balkinization on the lawlessness of it all.

-- The Heretik on the whole shebang.