It’s not any plainer than that. Today’s WSJ makes it abundantly clear in this editorial which shows how Democratic obstruction/leaking/and politiking has chipped away at the most proven and needed program in the war on terror.

“The U.S. homeland hasn’t been struck by terrorists since September 11, and one reason may be more aggressive intelligence policies. So Americans should be alarmed that one of the best intelligence tools–warrantless wiretapping of al Qaeda suspects–has recently become far less effective and is in danger of being neutered by Congressional Democrats.

President Bush approved this terrorist surveillance not long after 9/11, allowing intelligence officials to track terrorist calls overseas, as well as overseas communications with al Qaeda sympathizers operating in the U.S. The New York Times exposed the program in late 2005, and Democrats and antiwar activists immediately denounced it as an “illegal” attempt to spy on Americans, ?† la J. Edgar Hoover.

Democratic leaders were briefed on the program from the first and never once tried to shut it down. But once it was exposed, these same Democrats accused Mr. Bush of breaking the law by not getting warrants from the special court created under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978. Mr. Bush has rightly defended the program’s legality, but as a gesture of compromise in January he agreed to seek warrants under the FISA process.

This has turned out to be an enormous mistake that has unilaterally disarmed one of our best intelligence weapons in the war on terror.”

The terrorism surveillance program that came to being just after 9/11 was approved by congress, reapproved ever 45 days, and considered useful and legal until the Ny Times leaked the story of it’s existance to the world.

President Bush made a mistake in giving in to Democrats on the program. It was legal, had never been proven to have “spied on any ‘innocent citizens’, and worked.. Doing so has put this country at great danger and again, if we are attacked the blood will be literally on the hands of those such as Schumer, Durbin, Leahy and other Democrats who traded American security for politcal gain.

A dangerous party indeed.