The New York Times revealed that "Several members of the conservative legal community" are pushing the White House to grant what are called "pre-emptive pardons" for officials involved in so-called counter-terrorism programs.  

Legal experts say the president can issue a pardon at any time whether the charges have been filed or not.  The U.S. Constitution has been the traditional safeguard to preserve what the founders of our nation established.

Tragically the Bush Republican administration has trashed the constitutional safeguards that have protected U.S. citizens for over two hundred years.  Intercepting private communication without the traditional required warrant to permit this has been circumvented blatantly and without apology by the Bush administration.