Bloggergate: Is There a Blogger Exception to the Prohibition for CIA Spying on US Citizens?

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On Blog Law Blog, law prof Eric E. Johnson reports:

Jonathan H. Adler of The Volokh Conspiracy points to quite an alarming story in the New York Times reporting allegations that the George W. Bush White House directed the CIA to gather damaging information about blogger Juan Cole, a University of Michigan professor whose liberal views on his Informed Comment blog were highly critical of Bush’s foreign policy.

Eric Johnson's Bush White House Allegedly Directed CIA to Spy on American Blogger blog post comment:

Wow. That sure seems illegal. A former CIA general counsel interviewed for the story agreed, saying, “The statute makes it very clear: you can’t spy on Americans.” ... If Carle’s allegations are correct – or even partly right – this is just completely outrageous.

"Bloggergate" sources:

• James Risen's New York Times story: Ex-Spy Alleges Bush White House Sought to Discredit Critic (June 15, 2011)
• Jonathan Alder's VC post: Did Bush Administration Target Liberal Blogger? (June 16, 2011)

I'm thinking if the Bush Administration spying allegation is true, it might be worth taking Professor Cole's RSS feed. Even if not true, take a look at some of Cole's recent posts to decide for yourself if his Informed Comment: Thoughts on the Middle East, History and Religion blog is worthy of an RSS feed subscription. For me, the answer is "yes." [JH]