Los Angeles Times
by staff

01/04/06

James B. Comey can hardly be considered soft on terrorism. As deputy attorney general, he has been one of the Bush administration's chief prosecutors of the war on terror, pursuing accused bombers and terrorists from Riyadh to Chicago. So his refusal to approve the administration's warrantless wiretaps of Americans cannot simply be dismissed as the rantings of an Al Qaeda apologist. ... Last, and most important, the NSA's surveillance program is an affront to the American system of checks and balances -- and Americans' right to privacy as guaranteed by the 4th Amendment. The president fails to grasp this point. Asked Sunday what he'd say to Americans worried about violations of their privacy, Bush responded with a breathtaking non sequitur. 'If somebody from Al Qaeda is calling you,' he said, 'we'd like to know why.' So, no doubt, would James Comey. But at least he understands that, even in a time of war, the government is not free to simply tap your phone to find out who's calling you and why...

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Informant: Thomas L. Knapp