Given the chance to show his party devotion on national television, Kansas senator and Republican chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee Pat Roberts showed there’s no such thing as “too deep” when it comes to crawling up Bush’s ass. During a discussion on the presidential wiretapping fiasco on Meet the Press, Roberts very clearly stated his belief that laws don’t apply to the U.S. president.

Asked on what authority Bush acted when he disregarded the1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, Roberts stated that the president has “constitutional authority” that “rises above any law passed by the Congress.” Host Tim Russert later asked Roberts, “Do you believe that the Constitution gives the president... authority to do anything he believes is necessary to protect the country?” Roberts said “Yes,” adding, “that’s been done by every president I know of.”

Roberts’ comments seem to represent the official party line spelled out by Bush as well as Attorney-General Gonzales, who last week assured the Senate Judiciary Committee that Presidents Lincoln and Washington had “authorized electronic surveillance on a far broader scale.”

» Scott Saxon