Judge orders wiretaps to stop

Here’s some breaking news that must already be giving President George Bush a fit. According to Reuters, “Judge orders halt to NSA wiretap program.”

“A federal judge in Detroit on Thursday ordered the Bush administration to halt the National Security Agency's program of domestic eavesdropping, saying it violated the U.S. Constitution.”

Here's an issue for the senatorial candidates this season: What about the wiretaps? Should Bush be able to do anything he says is a part of the War on Terror, regardless of what courts rule? Does the War on Terror trump the Constitution?

Following this landmark ruling, I'd very much like to hear both Jim Webb and George Allen speak to this issue.

And, there's this: How long will it take right-wingers who say they love the Constitution, law and order, etc., to scream about this judge in Detroit being an "activist judge" with a lefty agenda. That knee-jerk crowd of hawks and social cons seems to believe that only judges which agree with them, down the line, are honest enough to rule on the merits of the case. Think about it -- what the hell does that say about their respect for the American system of three branches of government?

Note: This post updated at 2:30 p.m. same day; the last graph was added.