From Bat, who sent me this article: I’m sure there are more wrinkles to this, and of course the Bushies can still try to snow the FISA court, which tended to be a rubber stamp anyway. But I’m sure the main purpose of this move is to try to argue there’s no reason for the Dems to investigate now.

Senator Leahy was just on C’span speaking of this. He didn’t seem to be too impressed. Gonzales is to testify tomorrow. I can hardly wait to see if he has wiped that friggin smirk off his face. God I hate that smirk. Evil bastard.

WASHINGTON - The Justice Department, easing a Bush administration policy, said Wednesday it has decided to give an independent body authority to monitor the government’s controversial domestic spying program.

In a letter to the leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said this authority has been given to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and that it already has approved one request for monitoring the communications of a person believed to be linked to al-Qaida or an associated terror group.

The court orders approving collection of international communications - whether it originates in the United States or abroad - was issued Jan. 10, according to the two-page letter to Sens. Patrick Leahy (news, bio, voting record), D-Vt., and Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa.

“As a result of these orders, any electronic surveillance that was occurring as part of the Terrorist Surveillance Program will now be conducted subject to the approval of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court,” Gonzales wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press.

“Accordingly, under these circumstances, the President has determined not to reauthorize the Terrorist Surveillance Program when the current authorization expires,” the attorney general wrote.

Read more at YahooNews

H/T Bat for this one!!

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