WHO DO YOU THINK WOULD PROVIDE BETTER OVERSIGHT FOR A PRESIDENT OUT-OF-CONTROL, SHERROD BROWN OR FUCKWIT DeWINE?

OK, everyone is upset about Bush's illegal wiretaps, and even Republicans who have all but abandoned any oversight responsibilities while they're busy hunting for bigger and better bribes, are actually rousing themselves-- with elections only 9 months away-- to question Bush's abandonment-- or shredding-- of the Constitution.

Today's COLUMBUS DISPATCH asked the whole Ohio congressional delegation what they think of the illegal wiretaps. Although Mean Jean "Piece of" Schmidt took the opportunity to once again prove she is the single stupidest person to ever be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, the most interesting comparison is between two of the people running for Ohio's U.S. Senate seat, progressive Congressman Sherrod Brown and the ethically-challenged right-wing incumbent. DeWine's mixed signals: "I believe the president of the United States has the responsibility as commander in chief, in an emergency, to take actions to protect the American people from being attacked, even when those actions may not specifically be authorized by statute. However, the president has the obligation to seek congressional statutory authority, within a reasonable period of time, if he finds it necessary to continue such actions. In this instance, the Senate Intelligence Committee has an obligation, in its regular course of oversight, to review this program. Further, the executive branch should brief the full committee on the program so that members can carry out their oversight responsibilities."

Sherrod Brown, on the other hand, responded with a clear and well thought out statement: "When the president authorized his administration to spy on American citizens without a warrant, he didn't just cross the line, he erased it. By listening in on phone calls and reading e-mails, without a warrant, the president may have violated the Constitution and U.S. law. The administration floated a proposal in 2001 that would have given President Bush virtually unlimited power to eavesdrop on Americans without first obtaining a warrant. Congress said `no.' As for the leak, it's difficult to fault a whistleblower for trying to protect the constitutional rights of Americans, but there must always be caution taken with respect to classified secrets. The administration could have obtained warrants from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. The president claims that the process of obtaining a warrant, which protects our civil rights, is cumbersome and too slow to be effective. The president does not have the right to cherry pick laws that work on his timeline, and disregard laws that do not. I have joined my colleagues in a letter to the administration addressing our grave concerns, and I have called for immediate investigations of these alleged violations. The president has the responsibility to protect American lives and uphold American laws. It's not one or the other; it's both."