poetic justice

i gotta say i enjoy watching congress get all offended at the FBI raid on a congressman's office. i realize the case might raise some legitimate separation of powers issue (though i don't think that it does), but it's just too entertaining to watch them suddenly discover an interest in bush's expansion of executive authority and intrusion into privacy only when it threatens them personally.

i mean, this is the congress that is rolling over to allow the president to engage in warrantless searches of americans in direct violation of an act of congress, and that mostly goes along with bush's claims that he is free to ignore any statutes he disagrees with. individual members of congress have sometimes raised concerns about these issues, but as a whole they've mostly worked to airbrush away the serious legal issues and to assist the administration in making sure that there never is any meaningful judicial review of its actions.

most members of congress seem perfectly willing to sell us down the river when other people are subject to illegal searches. hell, this raid on the house office building was pursuant to a subpoena warrant, which requires approval from the judiciary branch! that's already more than what many of the president's supporters in congress think is necessary to spy on the rest of us.

so you're on your own, congress. if you're not going to be offended when bush steps on my toes, why should i care about yours?

UPDATE: go watch this cafferty rant. he basically makes the same point i was trying to make.