A Tiny Window for Censure

In light of a decision by a Detriot District Court Judge, John Nichols thinks NSA wiretapping is once again an issue:

With the courts stepping in, the time for Democrats and responsible Republicans to step up is now. A failure by senators to respect their duty to check and balance a lawless president makes those disengaged legislators as much a part of the problem as an abusive executive.

No mention in the piece regarding the fact that the judge in question, Anna Diggs Taylor, is a Carter appointee and openly partisan, or that her decision is not likely to hold up given that precedent clearly favors the administration's position. He also fails to mention that the ACLU specifically shopped the case to a sympathetic district.

Taken in context, Nichol's column appears to read: "Quick! Censure the president before this ridiculous decision is overturned by sane people."

UPDATE: Nichols window for censure is already closing rapidly. The Washington Post finds the decision "neither careful nor scholarly."

Scott Johnson at Power Line is a bit more frank:

If it had been submitted by a student in my second year legal writing class at the University of St. Thomas Law School, it would have earned a failing grade.

It was good enough to fool Nichols though, whose hatred of Bush must run so deep he will accept anything that casts a negative light upon him, even at the expense of the nation's security. Or, is it especially at the expense of the nation's security?