[White House, Crimes and Misdemeanors]

Around the Blogosphere on Bush's Spying.

The news of Bush's secret NSA spying on Americans is, predictably, fairly hot news in the blogosphere. Here's a rundown of the better posts.

Lefties
For the most part, the lefties are just reprinting, as if holding the smoking gun, text from the Times' report. Consensus seems to be that it stands on its own. Couple of interesting comments along the way, though.

Atrios has been posting random thoughts throughout the day. One of his earliest seems to be emerging as what we might call the "Atrios Test": if conservatives look the other way on this one, says he, the movement is a dead, soulless shell of sycophanty. Okay, those are my words.

TalkLeft quotes from a commenter's thoughts; according to the statute on wiretapping, Bush is breaking the law. The commenter further considers the implications.

One of the best posts is by Payson at Think Progress, wherein he gives some background on John Yoo, who provided the legal justification to spy.

Finally, Jo at Democratic Veteran vents some nice spleen.

Righties
The real action is in the rightysphere, where jaws gape. They, too, see the smoking gun. How will they respond to the Atrios Test? Behold:

Hindrocket at Powerline believes they should go to jail. The people who leaked this to the Times, that is. Threatens national security to have the secret, illegal actions of a petty autocrat reported in the free press, don'tcha know. Atrios Test grade: F.

Instapundit: "I can't see any very compelling reason to bypass the courts here, especially given that warrants in these cases are almost always granted." Atrios Test grade: C.

Michelle Malkin, who always damns herself more ably than any liberal could, blames the Times:

The real headline news is not that President Bush took extraordinary measures to protect Americans in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but that the blabbermouths at the Times chose to disclose classified information in a pathetically obvious bid to move the Iraqi elections off the front pages.

Among a movement so richly absent the sense of irony, Michelle is queen (delightful for a "reporter" to blame the press for, ah, reporting). Atrios Test grade: F.

Hugh Hewitt believes that as long as the secret spying isn't being abused (presumably this means being aimed at any conservative, wealthy, or white men), no worries. He also blames the Times and extends the shrillness into territory few have dared travel: not only was Times wrong to publish accurate information about Presidential lawbreaking, but if we get hit again by terrorists, you can blame Bill Keller. Seriously: "When the next attack comes, one question will be how did the terrorists evade detection. Today the odds increased that one of their methods will be careful reading of the New York Times." Atrios Test grade: F.

John Cole, predictably, is reasonably alarmed. Atrios Test grade: B.

At the Corner, they're blaming ... well, it's all starting to get pretty repetitive.

I think we can reasonably conclude that, for most conservatives, ideology is all well and good, unless the President says it's not.