This granting retroactive amnesty in order to provide a legal foundation for the surveillance program is a wee bit different than modifying tax law. And if there is a need to 'provide legal foundation', a reasonable person could assume that the current surveillance program is without legal foundation (outside the guidelines established by FISA).


>Unfortunately, retroactive legislation is not a new concept, regardless of political party...
>http://www.heritage.org/Research/Taxes/HL613.cfm
>http://www.ftb.ca.gov/businesses/credits/rd/spidell/spidell6.html
>
>or country for that matter...
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retroactive_legislation
>
>>Surprised? And that's coming from the guys who hate the word "amnesty".
>>
>>"Have you forgotten doublespeak, Winston?"
>>
>>>Retroactively legislate?????
>>>
>>>
>>>>No worries. With guys like Specter and DeWine on the case, the GOP can retroactively legislate any and all get out of jail free cards needed for both past and future shennanigans. Its good to be king.
>>>>
>>>>After an exchange of letters in June 2006 between Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Vice President Dick Cheney, the committee is considering Specter's bill putting the NSA program under the FISA court and granting retroactive amnesty for warantless surveillance conducted under presidential authority.[3] It is also considering legislation sponsored by Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH), a member of the judiciary and intelligence panels, that would provide a legal foundation for the surveillance program.