I never worried about George Bush abusing the power of his office by spying or harming ordinary Americans, even his political enemies. But, I did worry about what would happen the next time a Democrat was in the White House, given the past record of Democrats illegally using the government against those they don't like. (Kennedy, Johnson, and Clinton were all guilty of that, but they didn't have the technology that is now available. Here is a similar comment from Dr. Sanity:

SILENCE OF THE LEFTIST LAMBS

Cliff May quotes something that seems to be increasingly apparent in the New Age of Obama:

The practical effect is to prevent the courts from reviewing the legality of the warrantless wiretapping program that Mr. Obama repeatedly claimed to find so heinous — at least before taking office...

Then again, we are relearning that the "Imperial Presidency" is only imperial when the President is a Republican. Democrats who spent years denouncing George Bush for "spying on Americans" and "illegal wiretaps" are now conspicuously silent.
And somehow, I suspect that The Big O and his Democratic and leftist buddies who screamed the loudest during the Bush years don't actually intend to use this power of the Executive to to protect America's from its enemies.... But it sure comes in handy when they have to protect their own backsides--or when they need to dig up some dirt on anyone who dares to criticize the benificent wonderfulness of The One.

Watch and see. That's how totalitarian and authoritarian thugs--even the Harvard educated ones--operate.