Bush Says Surveillance Legal and Necessary

Yahoo (AP) ^ | 1/23/2006 | NEDRA PICKLER

[American Quilter]

Go W! I'm glad to see the White House acting quickly for once to neutralize the Democrat attacks.

[MNJohnnie]

We really need a DNC Pickler alert for this scum. Wonder what this waste of Human DNA tie to the DNC is? In any other industry the level of conflict of intrest between the DNC and the Junk Journalists of Asso Press would be ground for criminal inditement of the owners of the business.

[Dilbert56]

Way to look around for a poll that supports the Leftists. Every other one says the American people want the terrorists monitored, period. Then spend most of the article on one topic that nobody even cared to ask question about. Nedra, you need some fresh batteries.

[Dansong]

Nedra Pickler??

[joesnuffy]

As long as we leave our borders wide open and allow dangerous illegal alien drug thugs and the terrorists who sneak in with them free range on American soil...

We have no choice but to increase surveillance, increase intrusion into privacy, and limit the freedoms terrorist will use against us.

imo

[fizziwig]

"There was a noisy crowd of a couple hundred sign-waving anti-war protesters outside the arena where Bush appeared. "Wage war, not peace!" they chanted to a drumbeat."

Huh?

[Straight Vermonter]

There was a noisy crowd of a couple hundred sign-waving anti-war protesters outside the arena where Bush appeared. "Wage war, not peace!" they chanted to a drumbeat.

Another editor asleep at the wheel.

[ravingnutter]

The White House says none of the questions was prescreened.

Good grief...what Yahoo wrote that...WERE, NOT WAS!

The site chosen for Monday's event, however, was in friendly Bush territory in the reliably "red" state of Kansas.

No bias there, LOL!

"Wage war, not peace!"

Too funny...

[Cobra64]

Nedra Pickler??

Is it antibiotic resistant.

[bcsco]

What Pickler said about polls was essentially correct. There was a poll out a few weeks ago that claimed a small majority thought warrants were needed before 'eavesdropping' on public telephone conversations. On the other hand, other polls indicated that the American public supports the President in his efforts to protect the public; including the use of electronic surveillance.

I always took this to mean the American public is ignorant of exactly what the NSA is doing: I. E. electronically monitoring random telephone calls of known or suspected AQ members for 'buzz words', then selecting those calls that contain them for further surveillance. When a given call becomes of interest, then it may be monitored or recorded for future reference. This may not include a warrant due to the immediacy of the situation. Monitoring of further conversations would be done through warrants.

At least this is how I understand the issue and I see nothing wrong with it. What I doubt is the public's understanding of the distinctions involved between initial electronic monitoring vs. later specific monitoring. I think the public would be much more in favor of the program if they understood it. And the MSM sure isn't going to help educate them.

[USS Alaska]

"Wage war, not peace!" they chanted to a drumbeat."

We are, and still they are not happy. They should be chanting, lose war, lose war, surrender, surrender. An editorial fubar that doesn't change much. How does one wage peace? I know about a wage for piece, maybe they mean wagging the piece?

[NormsRevenge]

Army troops from Fort Riley, Kan. listen to President Bush speak about terrorism during his visit to Kansas State University on Monday, Jan. 23, 2006 in Manhattan, Kan. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

[jveritas]

The AP polls had 52% democrats, 40 Republicans and probably the majority of the 8% independents are democrats leaning ones. All other polls like Foxnews, Rasmussen, and ABC/Washington Post show that majority support eavesdropping on terrorist suspects in the US without any warrant.

[Iscool]

Bush said a congressional resolution passed after Sept. 11, 2001, that authorized him to use force in the fight against terrorism, also allowed him to order the top-secret program. That operation was disclosed last month by The New York Times.

A resolution has the weight of law??? A resolution trumps the Constitution???

"Congress gave me the authority to use necessary force to protect the American people, but it didn't prescribe the tactics," Bush said, adding that the government needs to know why people linked to al Qaida are calling into the U.S. "One of the ways to protect the American people is to understand the intentions of the enemy."

Now that's quite a stretch, isn't it??? Using force to protect Americans turns into spying on Americans...I got a feeling that's not what this resolution was intended to do...With that logic, George can bust into any house in the US to search for, whatever, without cause...

[The_Victor]

With that logic, George can bust into any house in the US to search for, whatever, without cause...

If you are acting as a foreign agent, the president can do just that. Ask Aldrich Ames.

[Grey Rabbit]

I'm a student and was just there. It was a good lecture.

"There was a noisy crowd of a couple hundred sign-waving anti-war protesters outside the arena where Bush appeared."

The quote is a lie... there were a total of 18 protesters I counted them all, twice. That included a few the children that were dragged out of school by there parents to protest!!!

[The_Victor]

The quote is a lie... there were a total of 18 protesters I counted them all, twice. That included a few the children that were dragged out of school by there parents to protest!!!

Thanks for the report!