An undeclared War Without End gives Bush and countless unelected functionaries the right to ignore or violate just about any curb on their power. Is this a great nation or what. mjh

Calls to doctors, lawyers subject to NSA listening The Associated Press

The National Security Agency would not have been barred from capturing communications between doctors and patients or attorneys and their clients during its controversial warrantless surveillance program, the Justice Department told Congress Friday.

Such communications normally receive special legal protections.

“Although the program does not specifically target the communications of attorneys or physicians, calls involving such persons would not be categorically excluded from interception,” the department said in responses to questions from lawmakers. …

The House Democrats asked if any other president has authorized wiretaps without court warrants since the passage of the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which governs intelligence collection inside the United States.

Choosing its words carefully, the department said, “if the question is limited to ‘electronic surveillance’ … we are unaware of such authorizations.”

The department also made clear that the program — as confirmed by Bush — has never been suspended since it began in October 2001. [mjh: Remember this spying *still* going on in spite of Constitutional controversy.]