About this spying thing. Is this the first time any president has done it? If any previous presidents did the same thing why weren't they up for impeachment?

Clinton did it and Carter did it but they have a D in fromt of their name whish gives them a free pass. No passes for R's though. Republicans are held to a higher standard than Democrats.

Why?

I hate to burden the peabrains of the dynamic duo anarchists Boobert and Anus with facts but:

http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/eo/eo-12949.htm

"February 9, 1995
                        EXECUTIVE ORDER 12949
                            - - - - - - -
               FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE PHYSICAL SEARCHES

       By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution
and the laws of the United States, including sections 302 and 303 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 ("Act") (50 U.S.C. 1801, et seq.), as amended by Public Law 103- 359, and in order to provide for the authorization of physical searches for foreign intelligence purposes as set forth in the Act, it is hereby ordered as follows:

       Section 1. Pursuant to section 302(a)(1) of the Act, the
Attorney General is authorized to approve physical searches, without a
court order, to acquire foreign intelligence information for periods of up to one year, if the Attorney General makes the certifications
required by that section............"

http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/eo12139.htm

"EXERCISE OF CERTAIN AUTHORITY RESPECTING ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCE
EO 1213923 May 1979
   
    By the authority vested in me as President by Sections 102 and
   104 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C.
   1802 and 1804), in order to provide as set forth in that Act (this
   chapter) for the authorization of electronic surveillance for
   foreign intelligence purposes, it is hereby ordered as follows:

    1-101. Pursuant to Section 102(a)(1) of the Foreign Intelligence
   Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1802(a)), the Attorney General
   is authorized to approve electronic surveillance to acquire foreign
   intelligence information without a court order, but only if the
   Attorney General makes the certifications required by that Section.

    1-102. Pursuant to Section 102(b) of the Foreign Intelligence Act
   of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1802(b)), the Attorney General is authorized to
   approve applications to the court having jurisdiction under Section
   103 of that Act (50 U.S.C. 1803) to obtain orders for electronic
   surveillance for the purpose of obtaining foreign intelligence
   information........"