Judge orders stop to warrantless phone wiretapping:

A federal judge ordered a halt today to the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping of calls between Americans and alleged foreign terrorists, saying the program violates the Constitution as well as a law requiring judicial approval for all electronic surveillance.

‘There are no hereditary kings in America and no powers not created by the Constitution,” said U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in rejecting President Bush’s claim that he had the inherent power to authorize the program.

The suspension of the program, implementing Judge Taylor’s order, is stayed pending appeal. Expect the full range of neocon dirty tricks to be deployed against this judge (the “activist judge” charge will be the least of the pejoratives leveled at her).