Posted on 12/17/2005 1:00:51 PM PST by Wolfstar
PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: The President is in Washington preparing for his address to the nation tomorrow evening.
Remember the following the next time some congress-critter or senator whines about not being briefed by the White House about something:
At yesterday's press briefing, Press Secretary Scott McClellan said that General Casey and Iraqi Ambassador Khalilzad briefed members of Congress on the elections and the political progress, as well as on the security progress in Iraq. Ambassador Khalilzad talked about how we would work with the new Iraqi government and assist them as they work to put a permanent government in place.General Casey gave an update on the security situation, and another sign of progress was that the violence was down yesterday. McClellan said we know that the terrorists and Saddam loyalists want to continue to carry out their attacks. And we expect that violence will continue. That's why we've got to continue to work to train and equip the Iraqi security forces going forward. We are making important progress. There are still challenges ahead. At this point, though, we congratulate the Iraqi people for a great day yesterday.
And now for a little fun -- it is Christmas time, after all...
President Bush discloses iPod playlistPresident George Bush yesterday discussed the contents of his iPod in greater detail with Sky News, noting various artists as he toyed with Apple's "high tech stuff." The Commander In-Chief perused his selections, listing among the The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Alan Jackson, Alison Krauss, The Archies, Aretha Franklin, and "Dan" McLean as favored artists, among others on his playlist. One bystander quickly corrected the president, reminding him that Don, not Dan, was the artist who sang "American Pie." Bush remarked that "Bono came in and dropped his new iPod on me," comparing his older device to the lead singer of U2's iPod nano. "This is a clunker compared to the newer version," Bush said. The President failed to mention whether Bono's singing with U2 is among his selections. The music-fan-in-chief also took time to mention that his iPod "can shuffle the shuffle."
QUOTE OF THE DAY: This is the entire transcript of today's Presidential Radio Address, without question the most important such address since World War II. I have emphasized portions with bold type.
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning.As President, I took an oath to defend the Constitution, and I have no greater responsibility than to protect our people, our freedom, and our way of life. On September the 11th, 2001, our freedom and way of life came under attack by brutal enemies who killed nearly 3,000 innocent Americans. We're fighting these enemies across the world. Yet in this first war of the 21st century, one of the most critical battlefronts is the home front. And since September the 11th, we've been on the offensive against the terrorists plotting within our borders.
One of the first actions we took to protect America after our nation was attacked was to ask Congress to pass the Patriot Act. The Patriot Act tore down the legal and bureaucratic wall that kept law enforcement and intelligence authorities from sharing vital information about terrorist threats. And the Patriot Act allowed federal investigators to pursue terrorists with tools they already used against other criminals. Congress passed this law with a large, bipartisan majority, including a vote of 98-1 in the United States Senate.
Since then, America's law enforcement personnel have used this critical law to prosecute terrorist operatives and supporters, and to break up terrorist cells in New York, Oregon, Virginia, California, Texas and Ohio. The Patriot Act has accomplished exactly what it was designed to do: it has protected American liberty and saved American lives.
Yet key provisions of this law are set to expire in two weeks. The terrorist threat to our country will not expire in two weeks. The terrorists want to attack America again, and inflict even greater damage than they did on September the 11th. Congress has a responsibility to ensure that law enforcement and intelligence officials have the tools they need to protect the American people.
The House of Representatives passed reauthorization of the Patriot Act. Yet a minority of senators filibustered to block the renewal of the Patriot Act when it came up for a vote yesterday. That decision is irresponsible, and it endangers the lives of our citizens. The senators who are filibustering must stop their delaying tactics, and the Senate must vote to reauthorize the Patriot Act. In the war on terror, we cannot afford to be without this law for a single moment.
To fight the war on terror, I am using authority vested in me by Congress, including the Joint Authorization for Use of Military Force, which passed overwhelmingly in the first week after September the 11th. I'm also using constitutional authority vested in me as Commander-in-Chief.
In the weeks following the terrorist attacks on our nation, I authorized the National Security Agency, consistent with U.S. law and the Constitution, to intercept the international communications of people with known links to al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations. Before we intercept these communications, the government must have information that establishes a clear link to these terrorist networks.
This is a highly classified program that is crucial to our national security. Its purpose is to detect and prevent terrorist attacks against the United States, our friends and allies. Yesterday the existence of this secret program was revealed in media reports, after being improperly provided to news organizations. As a result, our enemies have learned information they should not have, and the unauthorized disclosure of this effort damages our national security and puts our citizens at risk. Revealing classified information is illegal, alerts our enemies, and endangers our country.
As the 9/11 Commission pointed out, it was clear that terrorists inside the United States were communicating with terrorists abroad before the September the 11th attacks, and the commission criticized our nation's inability to uncover links between terrorists here at home and terrorists abroad. Two of the terrorist hijackers who flew a jet into the Pentagon, Nawaf al Hamzi and Khalid al Mihdhar, communicated while they were in the United States to other members of al Qaeda who were overseas. But we didn't know they were here, until it was too late.
The authorization I gave the National Security Agency after September the 11th helped address that problem in a way that is fully consistent with my constitutional responsibilities and authorities. The activities I have authorized make it more likely that killers like these 9/11 hijackers will be identified and located in time. And the activities conducted under this authorization have helped detect and prevent possible terrorist attacks in the United States and abroad.
The activities I authorized are reviewed approximately every 45 days. Each review is based on a fresh intelligence assessment of terrorist threats to the continuity of our government and the threat of catastrophic damage to our homeland. During each assessment, previous activities under the authorization are reviewed. The review includes approval by our nation's top legal officials, including the Attorney General and the Counsel to the President. I have reauthorized this program more than 30 times since the September the 11th attacks, and I intend to do so for as long as our nation faces a continuing threat from al Qaeda and related groups.
The NSA's activities under this authorization are thoroughly reviewed by the Justice Department and NSA's top legal officials, including NSA's general counsel and inspector general.Leaders in Congress have been briefed more than a dozen times on this authorization and the activities conducted under it. Intelligence officials involved in this activity also receive extensive training to ensure they perform their duties consistent with the letter and intent of the authorization.
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, so long as I'm the President of the United States.
Thank you.
It is very funny. Notice that Santa is wearing an Army issue glove.
Thank you for posting the prayer list, kayak.
I certainly hope that he emphasizes this again in his speech tomorrow.
"You've been attending these parties for five years, and I have since 1974. Have you ever seen so much of talk radio invited before?"
They're just scared. As well the a$h*les should be.
They are over.
No kidding. McCain is delusional if he thinks he'll ever be called 'Mr. President.'
My guess is that his prime-time speech was originally planned as a way to update the general public on progress in Iraq and to urge people to stay the course. But maybe he will work some of what he said today into tomorrow's address.
Remarkable, isn't it, that a "reporter" bothered to take up his valuable question time at a White House press briefing to whine about talk radio personalities being invited to an annual function. Sheesh!
Well, since I can use this forum to expose them for what they are, I hope they keep making fools of themselves.
The senate of the United States should be required to watch that once a week.
LOL, yes and he also has a very military salute too. Gee, that means that Santa must have spent some time in the military ;o)
He looks delusional in those two photos I posted here. The man genuinely looks like he's several cards short of a deck.
Stand up, Amerians.
Your leader is talking.
LOL!
Hi, Wolfstar, GREAT beginning to the dose today! All excellent points and all deserving of comments.
I'll just say this - if I were Santa, the ENTIRE U.S. Senate would get nothin' but coal in their stockings this year. I'd have the reindeer poop on their housetops, too!
Well done, Altura. There is more honor in GWB's little pinky than there is in the entire United States Congress. Whatever else we may agree or disagree with him about, George W. Bush deserves the utmost respect.
I'd be happy to help Santa deliver those lumps of coal.
Presidential Oath of Office
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
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Per Wikipedia,
In accordance with Article II, Section 1, Paragraph 8 of the Constitution, upon entering office, the President must take the following oath or affirmation:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."
Only presidents Franklin Pierce and Herbert Hoover have chosen to affirm rather than swear.
The oath is traditionally ended with, "So help me God," although for religious reasons some Presidents have said, "So help me", or "and thus I swear."
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And the oath of the President of the United States of America certainly doesn't carry any less weight than the military oath .. for he is the Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces:
I, ___________________________________, do solemly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, prayers up ... because W's words were most likely parsed and chosen very carefully by lawyers and the intelligence agencies, due the severity of the subject. Buchanan can be a loose cannon, but I echo his thoughts after this Presidential address today: he believes that, with the forcefulness and tone of the language W used, we're going to see a criminal investigation into these leaks.
I say HOORAY! God Bless You and get' em, W!!
Thank you so much for these photo's! You put them together beautifully and I love your comments. And indeed the former Lady looks wonderful. Remember when the Dem's made fun of her "matronly" older look than her husband? She looks Grand!
President Bush has just planted the seed of democracy in the Middle East. And worse (for the Dems) is that it's starting to grow. His reward for advancing the cause of human liberty....? An all-out asault. They've done nothing but trash the man. Look, I'm the first to admit that Bush has an unusual 'Stage Presence' to put it kindly.
His mangled syntax, awkward back and forths with the press, and his quips and off handed jokes make me cringe with the rest of them. However, no one can argue his affectiveness, his vision, and his old fassion guts. An oportunity to plant Democracy was there....and he took it. He busted through that crack in the door Saddam left him. What's happening now in the Middle East is beyond historic. It's revolutionary!
The Dems should put theier personal feelings aside. Years from now, folks will be playing their quotes on tv and they are going to come across just like the white racists fighting the Civil Rights movement. Sorry Dems, this time the GOP gets the credit for advancing Freedom! Live with it!
I think he knows he won't be. He just hates W for "stealing" the nomination from him, and will do everything he can to ruin W's Presidency. He's doing the best he can at that - Campaign Finance Reform, anti-torture legislation, the gang of 14, etc.
And he'll probably think up some new mischief based on the NYT hit piece.
If I lived in AZ, I'd vote for the most liberal Dem just to get rid of him.
I sure hope so. If Fitzgerald can spend two years looking into the truly silly Plame-Name-Blame-Game, certainly this very critical leak should be investigated. Let the chips fall where they may.
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