The New York Times cites a recent poll and concludes "public opinion about the trade-offs between national security and individual rights is nuanced and remains highly unresolved."   The Times also notes "responses to questions about the administration's eavesdropping program varied significantly depending on how the questions were worded."   The Times' story can be read in full here.

The poll found that more than half of all Americans "supported eavesdropping without warrants" as a means of combating terrorism.   The poll also found overwhelming support for eavesdropping when that was conducted on people the government is suspicious of yet overwhelming opposition if the eavesdropping were against "ordinary Americans."   The Times called these findings "striking."   Well, no duh!   Is anyone in this country in favor of the federal government randomly listening in to their phone calls or e-mails for fun or to persecute people the administration doesn't like?   There should be no surprise in that.

But is anyone really against the administration listening in on a phone call placed by Osama bin Laden to anyone located in the United States?   I suspect some people are against that just as they are against detaining al Qaeda men in Cuba.   Many of those people work for the ACLU and a few don't.   It remains unclear whether those opposed to eavesdropping on calls to or from our sworn enemies abroad are against it for principled reasons or simply to be against their sworn political enemy, George Bush and his conservative buddies.   Because the very security of the nation is at stake, it seems as if the later reason clouds the opponents' judgment.   That's OK, it's a free country, after all.   But don't anybody be surprised when the American public votes against the forces who are accusing the Bush Administration of illegal wiretapping.   Don't anybody be surprised when candidates for Congress suffer crushing defeats because they worked to put a stop to the President using these means to protect us.

Go ahead Hillary, John Kerry, Harry Reid, etc.   Keep it up.   Keep telling the American people that listening in to phone calls from al Qaeda is against American civil liberties.   I said a long time ago this issue didn't have legs to stand on its own.   But you guys keep trying to ram an oversized rectangle into a pentagon-shaped hole.