Wiretap Politics

WIRETAP POLITICS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Editorial staff]
[Commentary] Senator Chris Dodd's Presidential campaign died with a whimper in Iowa. But he still seems to be dictating national security policy to fellow Democrats on Capitol Hill, and unless the Bush Administration is willing to fight, perhaps to the next President too. We're told that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is saying privately he now won't attempt to update the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) on the wiretapping of al Qaeda suspects. Instead, he'll merely support another 18-month extension of the six-month-old Protect America Act. Among other problems, the temporary bill includes no retroactive immunity for the telecom companies that cooperated with the feds after 9/11. President Bush often says he wants to leave his antiterror policies on firmer political and legal ground for his successor. By accepting an 18-month extension, however, he'd be forcing the next President to spend scarce political capital on this issue early in the term. We're confident that even a Democratic President would want wiretap powers -- despite any posturing for primary voters -- but he or she might be willing to throw the telcos over the side. As the President who asked the telecom companies to cooperate, Mr. Bush has an obligation to protect them from damage. Mr. Bush also has all the high political cards here. Most Americans think it's preposterous that a judge should have to approve listening to foreign enemies, and a fight over this in an election year is the last thing smart Democrats want. Mr. Bush could help his successor and the public by promising to veto any FISA extension that isn't permanent and infringes too much on Presidential war powers. If this issue were such good politics for Democrats, Chris Dodd might have done better than sixth in Iowa.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120001233310682537.html?mod=todays_us_op...
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