I AM THE FORCE

History is clear that signals intelligence is, to use the language of the Supreme Court, "a fundamental incident of waging war." President Wilson authorized the military to intercept all telegraph, telephone and cable communications into and out of the U.S. during World War I. The day after Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt authorized the interception of all communications traffic into and out of the U.S. These sweeping measures were seen as necessary and lawful during critical moments of past armed conflicts. So, too, are the more focused intercepts of al Qaeda during our current armed conflict, especially given the nature of the enemy we face.

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez

Democrats and Republicans seem to view the world a bit differently. President Bush and most of us recognize that we have been at war since September 11, 2001. But Congressional Democrats hatred of President Bush drives them to question the legality of the steps taken to protect our security. A new devastating attack on our homeland is probably what they need to change their mind. Perhaps losing Washington, D.C. to a dirty nuclear bomb might suffice. We aren't interning Arab Americans or spying on political foes, we are listening in on the communications of enemy combatants. Democrats should re-evaluate their priorities, recognize the real threat, and work to defend America.