The Rules exist for a reason.

No matter how well intentioned, this is what happens when you break the rules. Illegal detentions led to inadmissible evidence leading to illegal wiretaps. Illegal wiretaps led to inadmissible evidence that led to illegal detentions. Both led to renditions and illegal torture which led to more of both.

Once the decision was made to break the law regarding any one of these, the Bush administration set off a cascade of further illegal actions because they couldn't suddenly "launder" what they knew to make it suddenly admissible in a court.

It's like a little boy telling lies.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 - Defense lawyers in some of the country's biggest terrorism cases say they plan to bring legal challenges to determine whether the National Security Agency used illegal wiretaps against several dozen Muslim men tied to Al Qaeda.