Didn't get a chance to hear the speech but this just about says it all:
Bush asserted he has ``the constitutional authority'' to protect the country. ``We need to connect the dots before the enemy attacks, not after,'' he said. The eavesdropping is aimed at ``people with known links to al-Qaeda.''
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=a6xP8waSa8CY&refer=home
You hit the nail on the head. The press wants a Nixon moment.