Senators argue over proposed censure of Bush

By The Washington Post and Reuters
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Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., calls for censure.
WASHINGTON — A Senate Democrat's move to censure President Bush for ordering domestic spying ignited heated debate among lawmakers Monday.
"When the president of the United States breaks the law, he must be held accountable," Sen. Russell Feingold of Wisconsin said in a floor speech introducing his resolution. Bush, he said, "authorized an illegal program to spy on American citizens on American soil, and then misled Congress and the public about the existence and legality of that program."
Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., labeled the resolution a "political ploy" and called for an immediate vote, hoping to put Feingold's colleagues in a tough spot. But Democrats invoked Senate rules to postpone action, and it was unclear Monday night whether Feingold's measure would face a roll call.
Feingold is among the sharpest critics of Bush's decision to direct the National Security Agency, without obtaining court warrants, to monitor international phone calls and e-mails of Americans when one of the parties is considered a possible terrorist suspect. Many Democrats and some GOP lawmakers have said the move, disclosed in December, violates the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
Democratic leaders reacted cautiously to Feingold's move. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., commended him "for bringing this to the attention of the American people. We need a full and complete debate on this NSA spying." Reid and Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., told reporters they wanted to examine the resolution before endorsing or rejecting it.
Meanwhile, a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll released Monday put Bush's approval rating at 36 percent, a new low for that poll but similar to his rating in other recent surveys.
The poll, taken Friday and Saturday, showed Bush's approval rating dropped from 38 percent in late February-early March, while his disapproval rating remained steady at 60 percent. The poll of 1,001 adults had a margin of error of three percentage points.
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