President Bush Rides Again Into the Breach in Monday's Press Conference

Whack! Whack! Whack! It's the sound heard in the East Room of the White House as President Bush takes the bat to the Defeaticrats and their allies in the news media in this Monday press conference on the heels of his Sunday Oval Office Speech on our VICTORY in Iraq.

In his answers to the assembled press corps he spelled out once again how we are winning in Iraq, how vital our efforts to preserve national security at home have become in the wake of Sepetmber 11th and the necessary work we continue to undertake to achieve VICTORY, not just in Iraq, but the broader war.

The President addressed at length the current controversy over the National Security Agency monitoring of Al Queda communications directed to individuals in this country from overseas. He reiterated his duty under the Constitution to protect the lives and liberties of the American people. No greater duty does a President have than to secure the liberties of all American citizens to be free from those who would do us harm.

Here's the best exchange regarding the NSA wiretap controversy with a reporter from the Washington Post:

White House transcript: Question: Thank you, Mr. President. I wonder if you can tell us today, sir, what, if any, limits you believe there are or should be on the powers of a President during a war, at wartime? And if the global war on terror is going to last for decades, as has been forecast, does that mean that we're going to see, therefore, a more or less permanent expansion of the unchecked power of the executive in American society?
THE PRESIDENT: First of all, I disagree with your assertion of "unchecked power."
Question: Well --
THE PRESIDENT: Hold on a second, please. There is the check of people being sworn to uphold the law, for starters. There is oversight. We're talking to Congress all the time, and on this program, to suggest there's unchecked power is not listening to what I'm telling you. I'm telling you, we have briefed the United States Congress on this program a dozen times.
This is an awesome responsibility to make decisions on behalf of the American people, and I understand that, Peter. And we'll continue to work with the Congress, as well as people within our own administration, to constantly monitor programs such as the one I described to you, to make sure that we're protecting the civil liberties of the United States. To say "unchecked power" basically is ascribing some kind of dictatorial position to the President, which I strongly reject.

And this gem about the Patriot Act renewal:

The President: Let me say something about the Patriot Act, if you don't mind. It is inexcusable for the United States Senate to let this Patriot Act expire. You know, there's an interesting debate in Washington, and you're part of it, that says, well, they didn't connect the dots prior to September the 11th -- "they" being not only my administration, but previous administrations. And I understand that debate. I'm not being critical of you bringing this issue up and discussing it, but there was a -- you might remember, if you take a step back, people were pretty adamant about hauling people up to testify, and wondering how come the dots weren't connected.

Well, the Patriot Act helps us connect the dots. And now the United States Senate is going to let this bill expire. Not the Senate -- a minority of senators. And I want senators from New York or Los Angeles or Las Vegas to go home and explain why these cities are safer. It is inexcusable to say, on the one hand, connect the dots, and not give us a chance to do so. We've connected the dots, or trying to connect the dots with the NSA program. And, again, I understand the press and members of the United States Congress saying, are you sure you're safeguarding civil liberties. That's a legitimate question, and an important question. And today I hope I'll help answer that. But we're connecting dots as best as we possibly can.

I mentioned in my radio address -- my live TV radio address -- that there was two killers in San Diego making phone calls prior to the September the 11th attacks. Had this program been in place then, it is more likely we would have been able to catch them. But they're making phone calls from the United States, overseas, talking about -- who knows what they're talking about, but they ended up killing -- being a part of the team that killed 3,000 Americans. And so -- I forgot what got me on the subject, but nevertheless I'm going to -- we're doing the right thing.

Earlier, President Bush expressed his disatisfaction with the NSA leak this way:

You've got to understand -- and I hope the American people understand -- there is still an enemy that would like to strike the United States of America, and they're very dangerous. And the discussion about how we try to find them will enable them to adjust. Now, I can understand you asking these questions and if I were you, I'd be asking me these questions, too. But it is a shameful act by somebody who has got secrets of the United States government and feels like they need to disclose them publicly.

Defeaticrats it seems are desperate to do anything to take the miracle of the first free election in the Arab world off the the front pages. Apparently, they are also bound and determined to tie the hands of those whose purpose is to protect the American People. In these difficult days, I am reminded of these words from Abraham Lincoln, who has become President Bush's role model for VICTORY:

"With firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in:...to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."
Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865