Gutless GOP

Activists on Right, GOP Lawmakers Divided on Spying

Despite President Bush's warnings that public challenges to his domestic surveillance program could help terrorists, congressional Republicans and conservative activists are split on the issue and are showing no signs of reconciling soon.

GOP lawmakers and political activists were nearly unanimous in backing Bush on his Supreme Court nominations and Iraq war policy, but they are divided on how to resolve the tension between two principles they hold dear: avoiding government intrusion into private lives, and combating terrorism. The rift became evident at yesterday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing into the surveillance program, and it may reemerge at Thursday's intelligence committee hearing.

As if Democrats are in favor of government intrusion and terrorism? Look, this issue goes to the heart of American democracy, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are both duty- and honor-bound to oppose Dubya's power grab. The fact that so many in the GOP are defending Bush shows clearly that they're not only crass, cynical careerists but that they're also gutless cowards who don't give a shit about their country.

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