Democrats Consider Subpoenas for NSA Surveillance Docs

House Democrats are mulling over whether to subpoena confidential legal opinions the Bush administration used to justify an NSA-run terrorist surveillance program that spied on Americans without warrants, the New York Times reports today:

"If the Democrats take that step, it would mark the most aggressive action yet by Congress in its oversight of the wiretapping program and could set the stage for a constitutional showdown over the separation of powers."

Subpoenas may be the only way Congress can get a look at the secret opinions, which Justice Department lawyer Steven Bradbury flatly refused to hand over to a House judiciary subcommittee yesterday, insinuating that executive privilege would be asserted. Bradbury never asserted executive privilege, however, which led to an amusing, if troubling, do-si-do between him and committee chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-New York) (photo at right).