Rule of Law

OK, so despite their most valiant efforts, Republican Senators can't seem to find a way to make the illegal wiretaps, legal.

I don't understand. When did this country start legalizing things in a retroactive manner? When did things illegal become legal simply because it came to light that someone like the President was breaking the law? What happened to Rule of Law?

You legislate things that perhaps we need to address because there is a useful reason in doing so. However, this is not the case. If the rational for legislating more tools for the President to use to combat terrorism, then presumeably we would think that was already addressed in the unPATRIOTic act. Republicans and the President say that they have kept us safe from terrorists with the tools already available to them since 9/11. So, why the need for wiretapping?

If the tool was inadequate, and illegal or in need of becomming legal, then why use it? If you use it and are saying that it requires legislating to become legal than the logical conclusion is that the use of the tool was illegal to begin with. Despite its inadequacy, at its most basic level, the use of the wiretap was and is illegal.

Legislating illegalities is I guess one way of fixing these sorts of things. However, I thought the typical "American" course of action was to simply prosecute the person breaking the law.