Bobzhuman

The New York Times portrays President Bush as a viscious violator of our rights to privacy.  You would think that after he signed John McCain's  "Al Quaida Bill of Rights" bill, the press would have been happy and given him some slack.  But alas, the positive info about the Iraqi voter turnout required them to divert attention from this good news by attacking him, claiming he secretly authorized illegal surveillance of U.S. citizens.
Here is his response:    (I have no way of knowing if it is true or not, but at least it offers some perspective)    (I also tend to believe that anyone associated, affiliated or connected to terrorist cells in the United States, should have their rights violated at least 10 times a day and maybe tortured every other Thursday until they decide to return to the Middle East and become useful citizens.)SH
  
JENNIFER LOVEN
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - President Bush said Saturday he personally has authorized a secret eavesdropping program in the U.S. more than 30 times since the Sept. 11 attacks and he lashed out at those involved in publicly revealing the program. "This is a highly classified program that is crucial to our national security," he said in a radio address delivered live from the White House's Roosevelt Room.

"This authorization is a vital tool in our war against the terrorists. It is critical to saving American lives. The American people expect me to do everything in my power, under our laws and Constitution, to protect them and their civil liberties and that is exactly what I will continue to do as long as I am president of the United States," Bush said.
Angry members of Congress have demanded an explanation of the program, first revealed in Friday's New York Times and whether the monitoring by the National Security Agency violates civil liberties.
Defending the program, Bush said in his address that it is used only to intercept the international communications of people inside the United States who have been determined to have "a clear link" to al- Qaida or related terrorist organizations.
He said the program is reviewed every 45 days, using fresh threat assessments, legal reviews by the Justice Department, White House counsel and others, and information from previous activities under the program.
Without identifying specific lawmakers, Bush said congressional leaders have been briefed more than a dozen times on the program's activities.
The president also said the intelligence officials involved in the monitoring receive extensive training to make sure civil liberties are not violated.
Appearing angry at times during his eight-minute address, Bush left no doubt that he will continue authorizing the program.
"I intend to do so for as long as our nation faces a continuing threat from al-Qaida and related groups," he said