Notes from Evil Bender

John Gibson, who we must number among those who somehow have a public platform despite their obvious lack of rationality, has this to say about the ruling striking down Bush’s secret, illegal spying program:

I agree that the program might not be strictly legal, though I think it is strictly necessary. Perhaps Congress should amend the law to make it entirely legal. But whether we need it or not is beyond question.

See, the President broke the law, but it must be okay, because Goddamn it, who cares about the law? THEM TERRORISTS IS COMIN’, PA! Of course, Gibson can’t make a coherent argument (his claim that civil libertarians believe terrorists have a right to kill us is so idiotic it staggers the mind) about how we’re safer. Where are the terrorists who would have made a phone call knowing there could be a secret FISA-allowed spying program, but won’t make the same one under the illegal policy of the president? Why would getting a court to agree a terrorist is a terrorist possibly be a bad thing, especially since it can often be done retroactively?

But none of that matters to John “Fuck the Law” Gibson. To him, it’s enough that the President says everything’s cool.

I just have one question for Gibson: if this program is so necessary, why didn’t Bush get Congress to authorize it? Think back to when you were a kid: did you ask your parents for permission to do something when you were sure you should do it, or when you were sure you couldn’t? Bush is acting like a child: he hid his illegal program, then claimed it was always legal. But if it was always legal, it would have been a simple matter to get the Republican Congress to pass the law, or to run it by FISA for legality. He did neither. His program is more than “strictly illegal”: it is illegal and unconstitutional. Everyone knows this. FISA clearly does not allow what he is doing, no do the President’s war powers. If the President–whose job it is to uphold the law–is himself actively breaking it, and covering up his illegal activities–then he should be impeached.