Retroactive Bills Don't Make It Right

(Note: The following is from a letter sent to the Everett Herald by a concerned citizen. His letter expresses what I believe many of us are feeling concerning this administration's blatant disregard for our Constitutional protections and the rule of law.)

by Jackie Minchew

For the past four years the National Security Agency has engaged in an illegal and unconstitutional program of warrantless wiretapping of American citizens. This program, authorized by President Bush, is justified as being necessary to protect American citizens from terrorists. As with the previously exposed program of torture, it is apparently supported by the full range of legal minds within the administration. (It is well known that dissenters are not tolerated in the Bush administration.) Legal arguments in opposition to the justification for both programs abound outside of the administration.

Every American, without regard to political affiliation, should be outraged! If the rule of law matters to us, if the Constitution matters to us, if honor, integrity and justice matter to us, we should all be outraged!

By way of oversight, Congress is holding hearings of the most toothless variety. Witnesses are not required to be sworn in, thereby exempting them from prosecution for perjury. Alberto Gonzales was repeatedly allowed to refuse to answer questions if he was uncomfortable with them. As usual, the White House refuses to comply with requests for documents.

Now we learn that Republican senators are floating bills to retroactively make warrantless wiretapping of American citizens legal. Clearly they have moved far beyond the possibility of holding the Bush administration accountable for its illegal and unconstitutional actions.

Is there no limit to the crimes this administration can commit without fear of being held culpable?