Spygate, or how far can Bush push the real Repulicans

Some interesting twits in the Spygate affair today. First, Newsweek reports that the Bush Administration went to both Acting Attorney General James Comey and John Ashcroft himself for the OK for warrantless eavesdropping and both refused. They then just went ahead and did it anyway. Joe Gandelman asks:

If this was so justified in doing as warrantless wiretaps, then, why did they bother to go to Comey or Ashcroft in the first place?

And it appears Bush may have pushed some of the old school Republicans too far this time. Willaim Safire came out of retirement long enough to leave the ranch in regards to warrantless wiretapping on Meet the Press. Several Republican Senators including Richard Lugar and Arlen Specter think it needs to be investigated. As we reported last week, former congressman Bob Barr went ballistic. Newsweek also reminds us that there may also be trouble for Bush in the courts.

The courts generally give great deference to the executive branch on national-security questions, but there have been signs of restiveness lately even among the president's staunchest supporters on the federal bench. The Supreme Court is signaling in subtle and complex ways that it may rein in the Bush team's absolutists by, for instance, requiring that detainees be afforded more legal rights.

Today Bush continued to defend the domestic spying and there were indications the administration will refuse to cooperate with any congressional investigations. So will Bush push the real Republicans too far this time? We can only hope.

Update
One old time conservative has left the ranch, Paul Craig Roberts, and refers to the Bush administration as A Gestapo Administration.