Reply #4: To me the question is what made this one a routine wiretap? [View All]

That Bolton misled NSA about his interest in the identity of the person is separate from Bush's warrantless wiretapping. It adds to the general the dimension that at least this one item of information gained by NSA wasn't used strictly as intelligence.

It begs the question of if and how Bolton ever interacted with state department personnel who during NSA wiretaps said things Boltont didn't find worthy of congratulations.

The question I have is how does wiretapping the state department relate to the general issue of warrantless NSA surveillance on US citizens? How is it that such wiretapping is seen as routine? Do such routine wiretaps require a warrant? If not under what authority is the wiretap conducted?