President Bush may be a struggling lame duck, but Democrats can still be out-maneuvered if they think they'll be called soft on terrorism. As Congress was leaving town, both houses gave Mr. Bush the wire-tapping authority he wanted, despite opposition from the Democratic leadership. The Bush White House denies it's a "broad expansion" of the President's powers, while House Speaker Pelosi calls it "unacceptable." Civil libertarians and other Senate Democrats, including Barack Obama, say the new majority buckled under intimidation and pressure, that they "might be branded as soft on terrorism." We look at the new law and the politics that got it passed.
Bush Administration's Broad New Wiretapping Powers
Credits
Guests:
- Charlie Savage - New York Times - @charlie_savage
- Marc Rotenberg - Electronic Privacy Information Center
- Robert Turner - University of Virginia Law School - @UVALaw
- Jack Balkin - Professor of Constitutional Law at Yale Law School
- Kevin Drum - Writer, Mother Jones