Bush Goes on Offense...Finally
Jim Kouri, CPP
December 20, 2005
It's no secret that the majority of the denizens in American newsrooms have disdain for President George W. Bush. Some even display attitudes that border on hatred for the Commander-in-Chief.
When I watch Bush's rare press conferences, it's usually a disturbing experience. Reporters almost attack the man as he stammers and appears disinterested and defensive. For instance, during the a Bush press conference in Texas following Hurricane Rita, NBC News' Dan Gregory asked the US Commander-in-Chief if he felt he "was getting in the way" of rescue and relief workers. It was embarrassing to watch a metrosexual prima prima donna get the better of a man whose shoes Gregory isn't fit to polish.
This occurred after the news media -- Gregory included -- pilloried the President for his slow response to Hurricane Katrina and the fact that he was on vacation during that emergency. Gregory displayed an almost pugilistic attitude towards the President. And the Katrina story gave the mainstream media another opportunity to lambaste a Republican president. It was just another in a series of stories -- some even based on forged documents and omissions of facts -- designed to hurt Bush's popularity.
But this past Monday saw a different Bush press conference. Americans saw a confident, forceful President Bush who made up his mind he would set the agenda for this presser. He immediately countered criticism over his use of the super-secret National Security Agency to spy on suspected terrorists without warrants and told reporters he would continue the program “for so long as the nation faces the continuing threat of an enemy that wants to kill American citizens.’’
He then went on to firmly state that as the US Commander-in-Chief he does have the constitutional responsibility and authority to protect the American people from terrorist attacks or acts of war.
While the reporters attempted to put the President on defense, Bush countered with a demand that Congress renew the antiterrorism Patriot Act before it expires at the end of 2005. He accused some Senators of playing politics with the Patriot Act.
Then Bush really took the offense by attacking the news media and the congress for leaking top secret information.
It was a shameful act for someone to disclose this important program in a time of war. The fact that we're discussing this program is helping the enemy,’’ he said.
The existence of the program was disclosed last week, triggering the usual round of criticism in Congress, but an offensive strategy from Bush and senior officials of his administration prevented them from achieving their goals. Instead of distancing themselves from the New York Times story, Bush and his team took the offensive.
Americans were informed that the reporter who broke the story stands to gain financially from a soon-to-be published book about the NSA spy operation. They also discovered that President Bill Clinton used the NSA to spy on Americans in more far-reaching operations than Bush's. One Clinton NSA spy program was code named "Echelon."
It's amazing how the news media seem so concerned about Bush violating Americans' civil liberties as they pound the drum constantly about the leaked story. Where was their outrage in 2000? Steve Kroft from CBS's 60 Minutes did a story on "Echelon" which focused on the marvels of technology the NSA was employing to conduct their technological spy operations. There were no stories about civil liberties being violated or people being subjected to warrantless eavesdropping. In fact, the 60 Minutes story was actually favorable to the operation. And Clinton wasn't responding to a 9-11 style terrorist attack, either. He never even had to explain why he was spying.
While Bush and other officials have said the NSA program involved monitoring phone calls and e-mails of individuals in this country believed to be plotting with terrorists overseas, Clinton's NSA "Echelon" program randomly monitored Americans communicating with other Americans within the continental United States.
During Monday's presser, Bush could be seen attempting to suppress his anger over the leaking of the NSA operation. Hopefully he will call for a special prosecutor to investigate this truly damaging leak. He must stay on the offensive. We spent two years investigating the leak of a bozo's CIA wife's name. These were two people using the CIA for their own politically leftist agenda, yet the Democrats and their lapdogs in the news media displayed feigned concern regarding national security over the woman's identity being revealed.
As expected, liberals from the Democrat and Republican parties called for congressional investigations into President Bush’s decision after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to allow domestic eavesdropping without court approval. They appeared disinterested in finding out the truth about the leaker in this obvious case of treachery.
The president has, I think, made up a law that we never passed,’’ said Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis.
Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Penn., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he intends to hold hearings. “They talk about constitutional authority,’’ Specter said. “There are limits as to what the president can do.’’
Perhaps now Bush has learned to listen to conservatives who warned him and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist that Specter was not a man to be trusted. He's been on the wrong side of conservative issues throughout his career. Yet, he was appointed the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and is joining forces with liberals such as Feingold and Carl Levin.
The NSA program has] been briefed to the Congress over a dozen times, and, in fact, it is a program that is, by every effort we’ve been able to make, consistent with the statutes and with the law,’’ said Vice President Dick Cheney, responding to Specter and Feingold in an interview with ABC News “Nightline."
It’s the kind of capability if we’d had before 9/11 might have led us to be able to prevent 9/11.’’
Now that Bush and his administration are finally taking the offense, they should deal with the liberals and backstabbers in their own party. And keep up the pressure to investigate the New York Times hack who broke the story and find out the identities of the treasonous leakers. The media want a special prosecutor leak investigation? Give 'em one they can choke on, Mr. President.
(In a story I wrote titled, "First Lesbian Civil Union Ends in Violence," I failed to attribute the quotes and information to reporter Daniel Barlow of the Rutland Herald. I am sorry for this omission. Mr. Barlow put a lot of work and effort into the story and deserves credit.)
When I watch Bush's rare press conferences, it's usually a disturbing experience. Reporters almost attack the man as he stammers and appears disinterested and defensive. For instance, during the a Bush press conference in Texas following Hurricane Rita, NBC News' Dan Gregory asked the US Commander-in-Chief if he felt he "was getting in the way" of rescue and relief workers. It was embarrassing to watch a metrosexual prima prima donna get the better of a man whose shoes Gregory isn't fit to polish.
This occurred after the news media -- Gregory included -- pilloried the President for his slow response to Hurricane Katrina and the fact that he was on vacation during that emergency. Gregory displayed an almost pugilistic attitude towards the President. And the Katrina story gave the mainstream media another opportunity to lambaste a Republican president. It was just another in a series of stories -- some even based on forged documents and omissions of facts -- designed to hurt Bush's popularity.
But this past Monday saw a different Bush press conference. Americans saw a confident, forceful President Bush who made up his mind he would set the agenda for this presser. He immediately countered criticism over his use of the super-secret National Security Agency to spy on suspected terrorists without warrants and told reporters he would continue the program “for so long as the nation faces the continuing threat of an enemy that wants to kill American citizens.’’
He then went on to firmly state that as the US Commander-in-Chief he does have the constitutional responsibility and authority to protect the American people from terrorist attacks or acts of war.
While the reporters attempted to put the President on defense, Bush countered with a demand that Congress renew the antiterrorism Patriot Act before it expires at the end of 2005. He accused some Senators of playing politics with the Patriot Act.
Then Bush really took the offense by attacking the news media and the congress for leaking top secret information.
It was a shameful act for someone to disclose this important program in a time of war. The fact that we're discussing this program is helping the enemy,’’ he said.
The existence of the program was disclosed last week, triggering the usual round of criticism in Congress, but an offensive strategy from Bush and senior officials of his administration prevented them from achieving their goals. Instead of distancing themselves from the New York Times story, Bush and his team took the offensive.
Americans were informed that the reporter who broke the story stands to gain financially from a soon-to-be published book about the NSA spy operation. They also discovered that President Bill Clinton used the NSA to spy on Americans in more far-reaching operations than Bush's. One Clinton NSA spy program was code named "Echelon."
It's amazing how the news media seem so concerned about Bush violating Americans' civil liberties as they pound the drum constantly about the leaked story. Where was their outrage in 2000? Steve Kroft from CBS's 60 Minutes did a story on "Echelon" which focused on the marvels of technology the NSA was employing to conduct their technological spy operations. There were no stories about civil liberties being violated or people being subjected to warrantless eavesdropping. In fact, the 60 Minutes story was actually favorable to the operation. And Clinton wasn't responding to a 9-11 style terrorist attack, either. He never even had to explain why he was spying.
While Bush and other officials have said the NSA program involved monitoring phone calls and e-mails of individuals in this country believed to be plotting with terrorists overseas, Clinton's NSA "Echelon" program randomly monitored Americans communicating with other Americans within the continental United States.
During Monday's presser, Bush could be seen attempting to suppress his anger over the leaking of the NSA operation. Hopefully he will call for a special prosecutor to investigate this truly damaging leak. He must stay on the offensive. We spent two years investigating the leak of a bozo's CIA wife's name. These were two people using the CIA for their own politically leftist agenda, yet the Democrats and their lapdogs in the news media displayed feigned concern regarding national security over the woman's identity being revealed.
As expected, liberals from the Democrat and Republican parties called for congressional investigations into President Bush’s decision after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to allow domestic eavesdropping without court approval. They appeared disinterested in finding out the truth about the leaker in this obvious case of treachery.
The president has, I think, made up a law that we never passed,’’ said Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis.
Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Penn., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he intends to hold hearings. “They talk about constitutional authority,’’ Specter said. “There are limits as to what the president can do.’’
Perhaps now Bush has learned to listen to conservatives who warned him and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist that Specter was not a man to be trusted. He's been on the wrong side of conservative issues throughout his career. Yet, he was appointed the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and is joining forces with liberals such as Feingold and Carl Levin.
The NSA program has] been briefed to the Congress over a dozen times, and, in fact, it is a program that is, by every effort we’ve been able to make, consistent with the statutes and with the law,’’ said Vice President Dick Cheney, responding to Specter and Feingold in an interview with ABC News “Nightline."
It’s the kind of capability if we’d had before 9/11 might have led us to be able to prevent 9/11.’’
Now that Bush and his administration are finally taking the offense, they should deal with the liberals and backstabbers in their own party. And keep up the pressure to investigate the New York Times hack who broke the story and find out the identities of the treasonous leakers. The media want a special prosecutor leak investigation? Give 'em one they can choke on, Mr. President.
(In a story I wrote titled, "First Lesbian Civil Union Ends in Violence," I failed to attribute the quotes and information to reporter Daniel Barlow of the Rutland Herald. I am sorry for this omission. Mr. Barlow put a lot of work and effort into the story and deserves credit.)
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