The Inspector General's Act was established in 1978 specifically to limit powers of the executive branch, following the abuses of Watergate. The law does allow the president to exercise executive privilege, but he has to do it with the knowledge and sanction of Congress and the judiciary, the other two branches of government, in accordance with the Constitutional principle of checks and balances.

Pres. Bush could've done exactly what he did (i.e., order wiretapping) but following the 1978 law, and gone ahead and wiretapped. He probably would've been granted persmission by the other two branches of govt. considering the tenor of the times.

Let's face it -- the job of the National Security Agency (the secretive NSA -- and as it's fondly called by its employees "No Such Agency" -- ha!) is to wiretap. It's nothing new.

But Bush didn't do it that way. In other words, he disobeyed the law. This is the problem.

The other problem is that too many Americans don't understand the U.S. Constitution!!!! Didn't we learn in 7th grade about "checks and balances" that are supposed to prevent any one branch of government to overstep its boundaries?

The USA believes in the rule of law. Historically, we are supposed to be the ones that urge others around the world to establish laws and then to follow them. Dictators (like Saddam Hussein) don't have to follow laws. But in the United States, NO person (President included) is above the law. Because of this principle, just a few years ago we impeached President Clinton for lying under oath. 30 years ago we nearly impeached a President for breaking the law. But he quit before that could happen, and then was pardoned.

One thought about the problem of not understanding history: When we entered the war, President Bush reportedly didn't know there was a difference among Kurd, Sunni and Shiite in Iraq. Now he does.