The Bush Embolism

The press still isn't on to this in a big way. Tomorrow's talking head shows will not give this story its full due. But the revelation that President Bush directed the NSA to spy on American citizens without availing himself of the courts - an admission of some 500-plus counts of a direct and clear violation of Federal law - was the cerebral embolism that will drain the Administration of its last twitches of legitimacy. The NSA stroke [held onto for a year by the disgustingly complicit New York Times editor Bill Keller] removes any pretense of policy without the sneering, greedy dry-humping of government for mere power, for the groping mastery of the weak by the strong, of the minor by the arrogant, of the citizen by the despot. Bush is now grievously wounded, and Congress - Republican or not - will not rescue him this time. The bleeding will grow, the stain will spread, and no one in the Administration (including the soon-to-be-indicted Karl Rove) will be able to close the artery. And that is terrible, because what is hemorraghing away in the dark night of this criminal administration is precious American freedom.