“The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” Article II, Section 4, US Constitution

The president has been dealing with inquiries regarding his authorization of domestic wiretaps on citizens of the United States. It appears he authorized the National Security Agency (NSA) to conduct these wiretaps under the guise of the authorization he received from the “Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq”.

Unfortunately for the president, no where in the resolution does it specifically grant him the authority to circumvent existing US law regarding the use of the NSA’s spying apparatus to monitor the communications of US citizens. Further, the president declined to follow the law, which would have required him to apply for a warrant from a special federal court established to decide just these types of questions.

I am curious to know why Henry Hyde of Illinois, or Bob Barr of Florida, or Tom DeLay of Texas are silent on this issue of lawlessness on the part of the president? Are these not the same men who were steadfast in their condemnation of Bill Clinton? It would appear, for at least these vigilant public servants that spying on Americans and using the resources of the NSA in violation of several US laws does not rise above, or at least to the level of, lying about the nature of a personal, sexual relationship.

It would also appear that these type of offenses rise to the level, as specified by our Constitution’s framers, of an impeachable offense. Since the bar for what constitutes an impeachable offense was lowered during the Clinton administration, then George W. Bush, president of the United States should be impeached for his conduct of the war in Iraq and for his actions regarding the use of the NSA to conduct a domestic witch hunt, further compromising American civil liberties and freedoms.