Fuck. Big of 'em. Mighty big.

Officer: "You were going 60 in a 15 mile-an-hour school zone."

You: "That's OK, I was just on my way to change the law so this isn't a school zone."

Officer: "Oh, that's alright then! Have a nice day!"

How many times do you think you'd be able to get away with that? I'd say: Less than one.

But that's exactly what the Republicans are trying to get away with when they try to change the law, retroactively, to putatively justify Bush's illegal warrantless surveillance program. (Remember, Barron's editorialized that Bush's warrantless surveillance was an impeachable offense, so it's not just the "angry left" or the "Bush haters" who are calling Bushit on this one.)

CIA Director nominee and architect of the illegal program, Michael Hayden, had this to say in his testimony today:

CIA nominee Michael Hayden told a Democratic senator he may be open to changes in eavesdropping law to allow the Bush administration's warrantless surveillance.

How generous. Hayden wants a mulligan, a do-over. A Congress that truly exercised oversight wouldn't stand for this for a minute.

Hayden, an Air Force four-star general and former NSA director, and other government officials have said that they did not ask Congress to change the surveillance law because the debate would reveal U.S. intelligence techniques.

That means that the intelligence agencies are no longer subject to the rule of law, doesn't it?

Gradually, the White House has shifted, saying it is committed to working with Congress on legislation that would write the president's eavesdropping authority into law.

Translation: The Republicans are breaking the law with impunity. After they break the laws, they get to rewrite them? WTF?

Gosh, where are the "moderate" Republicans on this one?

And the Democrats? Pushing, but can they answer this question:

Democratic representative: What is your plan to restore constitutional government?