Illegal Tapping Before the Illegal Tapping

So, now it appears that the NSA sorta, on it's own initiative, decided to start the illegal domestic wire tapping before Bush ordered the illegal domestic wire tapping. WaPo

Even before the White House formally authorized a secret program to spy on U.S. citizens without obtaining warrants, such eavesdropping was occurring and some of the information was being shared with the FBI, declassified correspondence and interviews with congressional and intelligence officials indicate.

On Oct. 1, 2001, three weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Gen. Michael V. Hayden, who was running the National Security Agency at the time, told the House intelligence committee that the agency was broadening its surveillance authorities, according to a newly released letter sent to him that month by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.). Pelosi, the ranking Democrat on the committee, raised concerns in the letter, which was declassified with several redactions and made public yesterday by her staff.

"I am concerned whether and to what extent the National Security Agency has received specific presidential authorization for the operations you are conducting," Pelosi wrote on Oct. 11, 2001. The substance of Hayden's response one week later, on Oct. 17, 2001, was redacted.

This brings up a few other questions, like who did order the initial illegal taps? This smells like Cheney to me. Maybe his "undisclosed" location after 911 was a bunker with headphones in his ears. Pay attention as further details of this story dribble out. Bolton is involved in this somewhere spying on Bill Richardson and who knows who. We are still only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

As I've said before. Osama bin Laden has to be surprised and amazed beyond his wildest dreams at just how fragile we Americans are, and just how effective the his terrorist operations have been.