Focus on FISA

President Bush, with characteristic exaggeration, charges that the nation is in "more danger of attack" by terrorists because Congress allowed a stopgap electronic surveillance law to lapse last Saturday without approving a new statute. Congressional Democrats reply that the expiration of the Protect America Act will have minimal effect because intelligence agencies can continue to monitor the telephone calls and e-mails of suspected foreign terrorists -- even if they are conversing with people in the United States -- at least until August.

February 23, 2008