The New York Times reports:

Under pressure from President Bush, House Democrats on Saturday grudgingly prepared to clear the way for approving changes in a terrorist surveillance program despite serious reservations about the scope of the measure.

With time running out before a scheduled monthlong break and the Senate already in recess, House Democrats confronted the choice of accepting the administration’s bill or letting it die. If it died, that would leave Democratic lawmakers, who have long been anxious about appearing weak on national security issues, facing an August fending off charges from Mr. Bush and Republicans that they left Americans exposed to terror threats.

But, see, they’re still weak on terrorism. They’re giving the President the power to protect us, grudgingly. They don’t want to; they’re doing it for fear it would hurt their political chances. When you grudgingly give the President power to defend our country, you’re not being strong on national security.