To the Point

Is Presidential Power Reaching an Unchecked Status?

As details emerge on President Bush's order for warrantless eavesdropping on overseas telephone calls and emails of US citizens with suspected ties to terrorism, the level of current presidential power comes increasingly under scrutiny. The President reminds that we are at war, one in which the intelligence measures at issue are fair game. His administration maintains that it needs the freedom to make quick decisions in navigating the post-September 11 anti-terrorism landscape. Meantime, members of both the House and Senate claim something must be done to put the executive branch back in check. A few even go so far as to suggest Bush undergo impeachment proceedings. Guest host Diana Nyad explores the extent of presidential powers with historians, experts on government, defense, and international law, including John Dean, counsel to President Nixon.Making News: Violence Returns as Religious Shiites, Kurds Claim Iraq Election MajorityA lull in Iraq's daily street violence followed elections 12 days ago, but car bombs and rocket-propelled grenades are once again erupting. Also, today, over 10,000 people marched peacefully through the streets of Baghdad, calling for national unity and a government representing equally Sunnis and Shiites. The Los Angeles Times' Borzou Daragahi has more on the renewed violence and on Monday's discovery of a mass grave in Karbala.Reporter's Notebook: Elia Kazan's Contribution to American CultureIn 1999, Elia Kazan was given an honorary Oscar at the age of 89, but not without a chorus of protest over what critics called his "betrayal" of friends he named as former members of the Communist Party. In his new book, Elia Kazan: A Biography, Richard Schickel re-examines that episode and appraises Kazan's contribution to American culture, not just in films but also in plays and novels.