Doug Ross @ Journal

Your modern Mediacratic party in action

The Telegraph reports that Europe's recent rollup of terrorist cells helps outline the scope of Zarqawi's network. It is thought to encompass 40 countries -- but the Mediacrats would have us believe that the United States isn't one of them, since they'd render the NSA's international wiretaps off limits if they have their way.

A growing number of terrorism investigations in Britain, Germany, Bosnia, Denmark and most recently Spain and France are linked to [Zarqawi]... counter-terrorism officials are worried [he] could be planning to use his base in Iraq to start attacking Europe... officials are particularly worried by indications that he wants to recruit white extremists who will be more difficult to detect than Arabs or Asians. [A British source noted,] "Even before the invasion of Iraq, Zarqawi had a network in Europe that provided funds and recruits..." Germany's leading intelligence official, August Henning, said... "We are seeing increasing noises in Europe and that causes us great concern,"

But, no, we shouldn't intercept communications from Al Qaeda cells in the US to international destinations. That would violate the terrorists' privacy. At least that's what the Mediacrats are telling us.

Michael Barone, writing at Real Clear Politics:

[I]t would be a very weird interpretation of the Constitution to say that the commander in chief could order U.S. forces to kill America’s enemies but not to wiretap - or, more likely these days, electronically intercept - their communications.

Yes, it would be weird, but no weirder than the New York Times choosing to ignore all available legal research behind the NSA wiretap story, including this snippet from a New York Times story dated 11/7/1982:

A federal appeals court has ruled that the National Security Agency may lawfully intercept messages between United States citizens and people overseas, even if there is no cause to believe the Americans are foreign agents.

And it's certainly no weirder than naming Howard Dean the chairman of your party. Or inviting Michael Moore to sit in a presidential box-seat during your convention. Or inventing birdcage liner like the Al Qaqaa story, which was nothing more than a gussied-up cow chip dressed as newsprint and positioned to swing a presidential election. Or dispensing thousands of stories advocating the pursuit of those who disclosed Valerie Plame's identity, but none advocating an investigation of the far more damaging NSA leak.

But, hey, that's your modern Mediacratic party in action.

And, of course, regarding Barone's article: Read The Whole Thing™.