Andrew Sullivan comments on the recent revelations that the CIA spied on the Senate Intelligence Committee when it was investigating allegations that the CIA used torture during the Iraq War during the Bush Administration.
He spends a good deal of time on the address made by the current chair Dianne Feinstein on the floor of the Senate as well as on whether this rises to the level of a constitutional crisis. By investigating Congress, the executive branch has used its power - in a manner not authorized by the Constitution - to check the legislature. Surveillance seems close to violating constitutional limits on the ability of the executive to arrest members of Congress while its in session.
Here are some posts worth walking through:
- Yes, The CIA Spied On Congress.
- The CIA Forces A Constitutional Crisis.
- The CIA Forces A Constitutional Crisis, Ctd
- Dissents Of The Day
