Originally Posted by DVPGSR
We are at war with Al Qaeda. This is not some peace-time snooping by a President against political opponents. This is the monitoring of calls to or from Al Qaeda to individuals here in the US, citizens or not. That is not violating the constitution, but rather preventing further terrorist attacks at home.
War in and of itself is not enough to suspend the Bill of Rights. The only war in which the right to due process was suspended was the American Civil War, and the Supreme Court found that to be unconstitutional. Also, the ruling I posted also clearly states that domestic security is not sufficient reason to eavesdrop, and that ruling was during the Cold War, arguably more tense and complex than our current situation.
Both rulings are the equivalent of law in the US. And, as the Constitution clearly states, no one is above the law, including the president. If he violates these rulings, he breaks the law, simple as that. Yeah, it makes his life tough, no doubt, but that's life. It's like the homeless guy who's hungry and steals food. Justified? Probably. Legal? No.