A bill approved by the Senate seeks to maintain Bush’s ability to conduct warrantless searches and surveillance of phone calls, emails, and all types of records without court approval. The measure would extend Bush’s powers for six more months, during which Congress would be working on permanent legislation.

The FISA court recently ruled that the government could not eavesdrop on foreign suspects whose messages were being routed through US communications carriers. That prompted Bush to call for the new bill. Since senators are more interested in starting their month-long vacation than keeping a tyrant in check, the proposal will be sent to the House of Representatives as early as today so that it can be rushed through.

Mike McConnell, the director of National Intelligence, said earlier he needed the legislation “in order to protect the nation from attacks that are being planned today to inflict mass casualties on the United States.”

The bill would allow the administration to continue the warrant-less surveillance but require it to describe to a secret federal court the procedures it uses in targeting foreign suspects…

…After the September 11 attacks, Bush authorized the interception without warrants of communications between people in the US and others overseas if one had suspected ties to terrorists.

Critics say the program violated the FISA law, but Bush argued he had wartime powers to do so.

The White House applauded their lapdogs in the Senate and urged the House to quickly follow suit. The bill “will give our intelligence professionals the essential tools they need to protect our nation,” said White House Spokesman Tony Fratto, whose request to violate our right to privacy reminds me of a drug fiend begging for another hit. “It is urgent that this legislation become law as quickly as possible.” This desire for absolute power and the urgent manner in which it’s being demanded seems a bit creepy if not downright scary.

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