contrapositive

ROAD TO SERFDOM Many prominent lawmakers escaped Washington D.C. for the holidays without commenting on the NSA domestic surveillance story.

To be sure, some public officials put their cards on the table: Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) spoke out in favor of the American system of checks and balances, for example.

And President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) all intimated that the rule of law is a luxury we can't presently afford.

(Typically, Colin Powell struck a lame, ambivalent pose that didn't quite endorse Presidential lawbreaking--or condemn it.)

In the coming weeks, we're likely to find out how many other lawmakers view the rule of law as disposable. It'll be especially interesting to hear from Judd Gregg and John Sununu, the two Republican senators from New "Live Free or Die" Hampshire.

And who knows where CONTRAPOSITIVE regular Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) will come down on the issue?

Toss in the Alito hearings, and it should be an interesting few weeks. Stay tuned.