times of danger

I didn't know the American Bar Association was into polling but I find the
results very interesting and possibly the most accurate to date:

According to a poll commissioned by the American Bar Association and
released today, 52 percent of respondents said that in the fight against
terrorism, the President of the United States alone cannot suspend
constitutional freedoms, with an additional 25 percent saying he must obtain
authorization by a court of law or Congress. Thus 77 percent of Americans
express deep reservations about the president’s secret surveillance program.

The telephone poll conducted by Harris Interactive® over the past weekend
found that only 18 percent of respondents believe the president can suspend
constitutional freedoms "anytime the President thinks it is necessary to
protect the country."

"While everyone agrees on the need for aggressive deterrence of
terrorism, the disclosure of unchecked domestic spying by the president is
deeply troubling to many Americans," said ABA President Michael S. Greco,
who released the poll results today in a news conference during the ABA’s
2006 Midyear Meeting in Chicago.

"Our Founders gave us a government that can act swiftly in times of
danger, but also protect our basic freedoms. It’s very encouraging that
Americans understand and insist on preserving that balance," he said.