I’ve only read it scores of times so I may be mistaken, but I was under the understanding that the Constitution created a three-branch system of government complete with checks and balances. Sure, when it comes to political agendas it may be easier if one branch (ahem, Congress) rolls over for another one, but that just seems to be out of the whole spirit of democracy thing, you know? Throughout Bush’s tenure the GOP Congress has essentially forfeited its oversight powers and has never challenged one of the President’s initiatives with anything more than tame rhetoric (”Your pork is out of control, Mr. President. OUR pork brings all the boys lobbyists to the yard.”).

Well, yesterday Senator Specter remembered a little something about the Constitution - that Congress controls the government’s purse strings - and threatened to cut off funding for the NSA unless the Administration comes clean about its secret warrantless wiretapping program programs. Don’t get too excited though, he backs off:

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter said Thursday he is considering legislation to cut off funding for the Bush administration’s secret domestic wiretapping program until he gets satisfactory answers about it from the White House.”Institutionally, the presidency is walking all over Congress at the moment,” Specter, R-Pa., told the panel. “If we are to maintain our institutional prerogative, that may be the only way we can do it.”

Specter said he had informed President Bush about his intention and that he has attracted several potential co-sponsors. He said he’s become increasingly frustrated in trying to elicit information about the program from senior White House officials at several public hearings.

The amendment amounted to a warning to the White House from a powerful but frustrated Senate chairman.

“I’m not prepared to vote for it myself,” Specter told reporters.

According to a copy of the amendment obtained by The Associated Press, it would enact a “prohibition on use of funds for domestic electronic surveillance for foreign intelligence purposes unless Congress is kept fully and currently informed.”

[…]

Specter also agreed with Democrats who say that any of the bills to tighten guidelines for National Security Agency program and increase congressional oversight could be flatly ignored by an administration with a long history of acting alone in security matters.

“It is true that we have no assurance that the president would follow any statute that we enact,” Specter said. He said he’s considering adding an amendment to stop funding of the program to an Iraq war-hurricane relief bill being debated by the Senate this week and next.

Specter says he has attracted a number of cosponsors but isn’t prepared to vote for the amendment himself? I’m sure the White House is just freaking out right now.

I suppose it’s a small victory for us Constitution-lovers that Congress is even talking about using its second to last resort to check the Executive (Impeachment being the last). It’s been months since the NSA scandal broke and all that Congress has done is beg for answers. Cutting funds is exactly what they should threaten to do if they’re being stonewalled and it should figure heavily into Pelosi’s playbook if she becomes Speaker in a few months. For now, chalk up another lame attempt by Specter to call the Administration to account.