US: Democrats have reacted cautiously to a senate proposal to censure President George Bush for authorising the National Security Agency (NSA) to eavesdrop on American citizens without a warrant. Republicans have accused Democratic senator Russell Feingold of political grandstanding in introducing the motion, which they say undermines America's "war on terror".
Mr Feingold, who opposed the Iraq war and was the only senator to vote against the anti-terrorism Patriot Act, told the Senate that Mr Bush had misled Congress about "an illegal programme to spy on American citizens on American soil" and should be censured. "When the president of the United States breaks the law, he must be held accountable," he said.
Mr Feingold's motion stops short of calling for the president's impeachment but the senator, who is considering a run for the presidency in 2008, suggested that Mr Bush may deserve to be fired.
"This is clearly more serious than anything President Clinton was accused of. It is reminiscent of what President Nixon was not only accused of doing but was basically removed from office for doing," he said.
Vice-president Dick Cheney led the Republican counter-attack, describing Mr Feingold's motion as an "outrageous position" that poses a test for other Democrats.
"Do they support the extreme and counterproductive antics of a few, or do they support a lawful programme vital to the security of this nation?" Mr Cheney said.
House majority leader John Boehner accused Democrats of trying to "tear down the president" over a spying programme that was necessary to defeat terrorism.
"While Republicans are working to support our troops and win the war on terror, Democrats are once again showing the American people what the Democrat party is all about: their message of retreat and defeat on national security speaks volumes at a time we need to be supporting the men and women in our armed forces," he said.
Many Democrats agree that Mr Bush broke the law when he authorised the NSA to spy on Americans without first seeking a warrant from a secret court but few were willing to back Mr Feingold's move.
Senate minority leader Harry Reid said he had not had a chance to study the resolution and Connecticut's Joseph Lieberman said the debate should focus on the spying programme rather than on the president.
Republican critics of the programme said the censure motion could be counterproductive, distracting attention from efforts to submit the programme to better oversight.