Such was his defense offered today about his domestic spying program.

"This is a limited program designed to prevent attacks on the United States of America and, I repeat, limited," Bush told reporters after visiting wounded troops at Brooke Army Medical Center.

Limited by whom? That's the question. In fact, it's not limited except by President Bush's whim. And that kind of unchecked power held by a president -- any president of any party -- crosses the line and almost certainly is illegal.

"I think most Americans understand the need to find out what the enemy's thinking."

And the enemy is you. The enemy is vegetarians. The enemy is gays. The enemy is whomever we don't like. Whadayagonnadoabowdit?

"The fact that somebody leaked this program causes great harm to the United States," Bush said before returning to Washington from a holiday break at his Texas ranch. "There's an enemy out there."

--er, I mean, that's why we're spying on Americans here in the U.S.A. Hehehehehe.

The president denied misleading the public during a 2004 appearance in support of the Patriot Act when he said, "Any time you hear the United States government talking about wiretap, a wiretap requires a court order."

Asked about that Sunday, Bush said: "I was talking about roving wire taps, I believe, involved in the Patriot Act. This is different from the NSA program. The NSA program is a necessary program."

Why is it necessary to spy on Americans without a court order or, as allowed by the Patriot Act, an after-the-fact sign-off? Why is Bush afraid of letting judges of a secret court with top security clearance keep tabs of what he's up to?

Hey Republicans: You're not going to hold the White House forever. How will you feel about it when it's a Democrat wielding that kind of unchecked power? I remember when the Republicans went absolutely ape shit over the fact that a few dozen FBI files found their way into the White House. Kinda pales in comparison with this, doesn't it?

Shouldn't we all be concerned when a President starts claiming powers normally claimed by a Dictator or a King?

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