Super Duper Precedent

From this morning's session of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wartime Executive Power and the NSA’s Surveillance Authority:

Senator Jeff Sessions:  With regard to history, you've made reference to history, isn't it true President Washington instructed his army to find ways to intercept letters from British operatives?  That President Lincoln authorized warantless tapping of telegraph communications during the Civil War to try to identify troop movements of the enemy?  Is it true that President Wilson authorized the military to intercept all telephone and telegraph traffic going into and out of the United States?

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales:  That is correct.

JS:  And that President Roosevelt instructed the government to use listening devices to learn the plans of spies in the United States and that he gave the military the authority to access, without review, without warrant, all telecommunications - quote - passing between the us and any foreign country?

AG²:  That is correct, Sir.