Another Blow to Bush

A federal judge has struck down the provision in the PATRIOT Act allowing the federal government to demand the internet records of Americans from internet service providers without notifying their customers or obtaining a court order. The judge rightfully ruled that the provision "offends the fundamental Constitutional principles of checks and balances and separation of powers".

This is another example of the judiciary working to restrain the authoritarian impulses of the Bush administration, despite Congress' unwillingness to do so. I'm sure the ruling will be challenged, and will probably end up in the Supreme Court. But the basic principle is sound: the President ought not be able to spy on American citizens without oversight.