To: michael97123 who wrote (6750 ) 5/24/2006 8:55:57 PM From: Sully- Respond to of 14758 "Quietly Acceding"? Andy McCarthy The Corner Would somebody Please tell me what planet the NYTimes has been living on since 2001? Here is the first line of its Page One story today on the search of Rep. William Jefferson's congressional office: <<< "After years of quietly acceding to the Bush administration's assertions of executive power, the Republican-led Congress hit a limit this weekend." >>> After five years of congressional carping about detainees, interrogation techniques, torture and the NSA, which has resulted in some major legislation and scores of contentious hearings (often led by Republicans), how does that sentence possibly make it out the door? Reporter Carl Hulse's fairytale then goes on to relate that the search, <<< "fit the Bush administration's pattern of asserting broad executive authority, sometimes at the expense of the legislative and judicial branches." >>> Nowhere — nowhere — does Hulse mention that the search took place pursuant to a judicial warrant obtained by the Justice Department only after a federal judge found probable cause both that a crime had been committed and that evidence of that crime was likely to be found in the place to be searched. (I won't belabor what Byron and I already commented on last night regarding the absurd procedural lengths to which DOJ went, for the purpose of exhibiting respect to legislative branch, in conducting the search.) Meanwhile, the Times ends its account with a word from the GOP's new fearless leader, Rep. John Boehner, wondering aloud, <<< "whether the people at the Justice Department have looked at the Constitution." >>> I defy Boehner to explain where in the Constitution it says that crooks who happen to be congressmen are free to use office space that belongs not to them but to the American people in order to hide the proceeds of their violations of the public trust from agents conducting an investigation on behalf of the American people.corner.nationalreview.com