Why such outrage?

David B. Rivkin and Lee A. Casey are lawyers who served in the Justice Department in the Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations. Today, they published a great op-ed piece in The NYTimes: "Unwarranted Complaints"

Rivkin & Casey point out that:

"The president has the constitutional authority to acquire foreign intelligence without a warrant or any other type of judicial blessing.

The courts have acknowledged this authority, and numerous administrations, both Republican and Democrat, have espoused the same view."

The world changed on 9-11. In fact, the 9-11 commission was very critical of our systems and how we defended ourselves.

On 9-11, we were attacked by people living and operating from within the US. They used our freedoms to evade the law and to eventually kill 3,000 innocents.

Our rule of law is not a suicide pact. We have the right, and duty, to defend ourselves.

It's time for Bush critics to stop blaming him for everything.

It's time for them to tell us how they would fight people who want to blow up an American city.

We should hear this debate before the 2006 or 2008 election.

I want to hear from Democrats. How would they defend the country?