Members of Congress beginning to say the "I" word

Senator Barbara Boxer becomes the first member of Congress to indicate that impeachment may be warranted in the NSA wiretap case.

Sen. Boxer wrote this letter to four constitutional scholars:

On December 16, along with the rest of America, I learned that President Bush authorized the National Security Agency to spy on Americans without getting a warrant from a judge. President Bush underscored his support for this action in his press conference today.

On Sunday, December 18, former White House Counsel John Dean and I participated in a public discussion that covered many issues, including this surveillance. Mr. Dean, who was President Nixon’s counsel at the time of Watergate, said that President Bush is “the first President to admit to an impeachable offense.” Today, Mr. Dean confirmed his statement.

This startling assertion by Mr. Dean is especially poignant because he experienced first hand the executive abuse of power and a presidential scandal arising from the surveillance of American citizens.

Given your constitutional expertise, particularly in the area of presidential impeachment, I am writing to ask for your comments and thoughts on Mr. Dean’s statement.

Unchecked surveillance of American citizens is troubling to both me and many of my constituents. I would appreciate your thoughts on this matter as soon as possible.

Sincerely,
Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

Raw Story, which also ran the text of the letter, reported that Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) may have called for Bush's impeachment even earlier. Here's his statement on the matter.

Here are Sen. Boxer's complete comments.

I will continue to search for John Dean's comments.