Not A Blank Check

Nothing excuses the silence of those Congressional officials who had heard about the program and did nothing, but it's clear they did not approve or know of the extent of what the President was doing...

AP: Democrats Say They Didn't Back Wiretapping

Some Democrats say they never approved a domestic wiretapping program, undermining suggestions by President Bush and his senior advisers that the plan was fully vetted in a series of congressional briefings...

And regarding the idea that the Afghanistan war resolution somehow gave the President unlimited power in wartime, Think Progress has compiled some old quotes:

"Some people say that is a broad change in authorization to the Commander in Chief of this country. It is not. It is a very limited concept of giving him the authority to pursue those who have brought this terrible destruction to our country and to pursue those who have harbored them or assisted them and conspired with them in any way."
-Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) [Congressional Record, 9/14/01]

"The body of this resolution is appropriately limited to those entities involved in the attacks that occurred on September 11th… It reiterates the existing constitutional powers of the President to take action to defend the United States, but provides no new or additional grant of powers to the President."
-Rep. James McGovern (D-MA) [Congressional Record, 9/14/01]

"In extending this broad authority to cover those ‘planning, authorizing, committing, or aiding the attacks’ it should go without saying, however, that the resolution is directed only at using force abroad to combat acts of international terrorism."
-Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) [Congressional Record, 9/14/01]

"The resolution is not a blank check. We do this with our eyes open and in fervent prayer, especially the prayer that President Bush and his national security team will be lavished with wisdom from God above to use only that force which is truly necessary and only that force which is truly appropriate."
-Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ) [Congressional Record, 9/14/01]

"The tension that we face tonight is to provide the President with enough authority to eradicate wrongdoing without wronging the carefully crafted systems of checks and balances so essential to our democracy. … As we vote for this important resolution with the lives of so many at stake in this important endeavor against terrorism, we cannot let the executive branch become the exclusive branch."
-Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) [Congressional Record, 9/14/01]

See also- Senators seek probe of Bush's spying orders