Recall that when George W. Bush illegally wiretapped people without a warrant, skipping the FISA court entirely, Republicans defended it. 1/
Since revealed as the STELLAR WIND program to illegally collect internet metadata, Bush needed the program reauthorized, but then-acting AG @Comey refused. He had the support of a hospitalized John Ashcroft, and the director of the FBI - Robert Mueller. 2/
Comey, Mueller, Ashcroft - all justice department officials in a post 9/11 Republican administration. Comey and Mueller defended the rule of law then, and they’re defending it now from lawless hacks like Nunes and Trump.
To tie a bow on the lawless hypocrisy, one only has to remember the PATRIOT Act, which @russfeingold called a “wishlist of the FBI,” because it included all the expanded the FBI wanted for criminal investigations that Congress had previously considered excessive. 4/
Republicans shamelessly politicized that bill, because, back then, giving the FBI more power was popular. They didn’t care that the PATRIOT Act was a dangerous expansion of government power. 5/
Now we’re watching inverse of the past Republican support of the PATRIOT Act. Supported FBI then, attack it now. What’s the constant? Self-benefit. 6/6
