Justice Laywers stunned that Bush stopped probe of NSA spying.

We are nt all that stunned....I mean, given what this preznit has already done, why would this surprise anyone?

Though it is grounds for impeachment...actually, just one in a long list of grounds for impeachment.

TPMmuckraker July 18, 2006 06:26 PM:

The news today that President Bush acted to block an internal Justice Department probe relating to the NSA's domestic spying operations is both a bigger and more complicated a story than one would think, given the space it will probably be given in tomorrow's papers. In sum, it's an example of how even arcane tools of oversight can be subverted by the Executive Office of the President.

As we know, for at least three years, the NSA's domestic spying efforts have evaded scrutiny by Congress, the secret FISA review process, and the judicial branch.

This Justice Department probe came from a curious little office in the organization called the Office of Professional Responsibility. Their job isn't to figure out if the NSA can spy on Americans. They exist to watchdog Justice officials, and make sure they're adhering to the law as they, er, make sure the rest of us adhere to the law.

On the theory that someone at Justice had reviewed and approved the NSA's domestic spying efforts, four Democratic lawmakers had written the office in January to request an investigation. Did Justice officials obey the law, when they reviewed and approved this program?