Party Lines Blur in Surveillance Debate

PARTY LINES BLUR IN SURVEILLANCE DEBATE
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Sarah Lueck sarah.lueck@wsj.com]
As Congress returns to work following commemoration of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Republican leaders are eager to draw Democrats into a battle over President Bush's terrorism-surveillance program. But instead of finding an issue that could help them on Election Day, Republicans could be stymied by members of their own party who are raising concerns about the program. This week, House and Senate committees are expected to take up legislation that would authorize and set limits for Mr. Bush's warrantless-wiretapping program, paving the way for showdowns in both chambers just before the November midterm elections. Republicans are confident the debate will bolster voters' impressions of their party as stronger on national security than the Democrats, many of whom have criticized the surveillance program on civil-liberties grounds. As a tool to prevent terrorist attacks, wiretapping gets strong public support, Republicans say. But the debate over the National Security Agency's program is far from clear-cut. Some Republican lawmakers say they are uncomfortable because the administration has provided little information about the program and how legislation would change it.
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