Bush has admitted that the New York Times reports were correct - and so has admitted he committed an impeachable offense.

Warrantless wiretapping, in violation of the law, is impeachable. Nixon was charged in Article II of his bill of impeachment with illegal wiretapping for what he, too, claimed were national security reasons.

Following Nixon's resignation, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)was introduced to set limits on electronic surveillance. It created a secret court within the Department of Justice - the FISA Court -- that could, within these limits, grant law enforcement's requests to engage in electronic surveillance. Bush's authorization of wiretapping without any application to the FISA Court violated the law.

Bush has outdone Nixon: Nixon's illegal surveillance was limited; reports have suggested that NSA is "data mining" literally millions of calls - and has been given access by the telecommunications companies to "switching" stations through which foreign communications traffic flows.

This is big-time, Big Brother electronic surveillance.

All Bush had to do was to go through the FISA court to get those wiretaps happening - but he apparently believes he is above the law. Bad move.