Posted on 08/18/2006 1:48:59 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
CAMP DAVID, Md. - President Bush on Friday criticized a federal court ruling that said his warrantless wiretapping program is unconstitutional, declaring that opponents "do not understand the nature of the world in which we live."
"I strongly disagree with that decision, strongly disagree," Bush said, striking his finger on a podium to underscore his point. "That's why I instructed the Justice Department to appeal immediately, and I believe our appeals will be upheld."
U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in Detroit on Thursday was the first to find the National Security Agency surveillance program unconstitutional. The program involves monitoring international phone calls and e-mails to and from the United States involving people with suspected ties to terrorists.
"If al-Qaida is calling in to the United States, we want to know why they're calling," Bush said.
Critics say the surveillance program skirts the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which requires court warrants for domestic eavesdropping. The administration has argued that obtaining warrants from a secret court set up under FISA is a time-consuming process unsuited for the government's fast-moving war on terror.
The judge said the government, in defending the program, appeared to be saying the president had the "inherent power" to violate laws of Congress.
"It was never the intent of the framers to give the president such unfettered control," Taylor wrote in a 43-page opinion. "... There are no hereditary Kings in America and no powers not created by the Constitution. So all 'inherent powers' must derive from that Constitution."
On other issues, Bush said it would take the world time to view the war between Israel and Hezbollah as a loss for the Islamic militant group.
"The first reaction, of course, of Hezbollah and its supporters is, declare victory," Bush said. "I guess I would have done the same thing if I were them, but sometimes it takes people a while to come to the sober realization of what forces create stability and which don't. Hezbollah is a force of instability."
Bush also expressed some disappointment with France's contribution to an expanded peacekeeping force in Lebanon.
France had been expected to make a significant new contribution that would form the backbone of the expanded force. But French President Jacques Chirac disappointed the United Nations and other countries by announcing France would contribute just 200 combat engineers to its current 200-member contingent in Lebanon.
"France has said they will send some troops," the president said. "We hope they'll send more."
Members of Bush's economic team stood alongside the president as he spoke under bright sunshine at the Camp David helipad. Among attendees were Vice President Dick Cheney, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, National Economic Council Director Allan Hubbard and White House budget chief Rob Portman.
The meeting came at a time when only 37 percent of Americans support Bush's handling of the economy, according to AP-Ipsos polling in early August. It's also just weeks before congressional midterm elections that will determine whether Republicans continue to control the House and the Senate.
Bush declared the economy solid and strong because of tax cuts his administration pushed through Congress. He rattled off a series of economic indicators, including the nation's 4.8 percent jobless rate in July and 4 percent annual economic growth rate through the first half of the year.
But House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi took issue with Bush's upbeat comments on the economy, saying, "President Bush may think the economy is moving forward, but many hard working Americans are stuck living paycheck to paycheck.
"Under President Bush and the Republican Congress, the economic situation for too many Americans is going in the wrong direction," said the California Democrat. Since Bush took office, she said, "real median family income has dropped by $1,700 while families are paying $3,200 more in household costs."
Bush did not mention that the July unemployment rate had inched up from 4.6 percent in June, reflecting a slowdown in job creation that reflects weaker economic growth. And while the gross domestic product expanded at an annual rate of 5.6 percent in the first quarter, it slowed to just 2.5 percent in the April-June quarter.
On Friday, a University of Michigan survey showed consumer confidence fell sharply in early August to the lowest level in 10 months as Americans were rattled by new terrorism concerns and gasoline prices above $3 per gallon.
Bush did not mention the jump in gasoline prices, although he did discuss the need to invest in new energy technologies.
Paulson, speaking to reporters later, said the team spent much time talking about long-term challenges such as changing Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in view of the pending retirement of 78 million baby boomers.
"We think it is quite possible to come up with a fix that is quite doable," Paulson said of reforming the government programs. "The question is whether we can get the support of Congress to get something done."
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AP Economics Writer Martin Crutsinger contributed to this report.
President Bush walks to a press conference with members of his economic team on Friday, Aug. 19, 2006 in Camp David, Md. From left is Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, Director of the Office of Management and Budget Rob Portman, Bush, and Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers Edward Lazear. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Is the country at war or not?
President Bush's words would carry a great deal more authority now if he would have closed our borders when first we went to war.
Where are the Republcans? They should be speaking out. Jeesh!! Its infuriating, the silence.
meek..as usual..meek. running out the clock like the old man huh? Do something bold Mr. President! Anything.
wow
go dubya
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20060329-120346-1901r.htm
A panel of former Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court judges yesterday told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee that President Bush did not act illegally when he created by executive order a wiretapping program conducted by the National Security Agency (NSA).
The Stupid Party? They're cowering under their beds as usual. The RATS told them not to politicize this and they're doing as they were told.
Another nice DNC press release.
The Islamic faction of the ACLU; destroying our country from within. Using our own laws agaist us. It's time for our President to stand up for our country and himself.
Judge Anna Diggs Taylor is an idiot and when Al Qaida drops the big one ole anna is gonna be sorry, all the deaths will be on her stoopid head........geez, this really fires me up, how stoopid is she??? Did the English just foil a plot using wire taps?????? Hellllllllllllo..........
Is the country at war or not?
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Uhhh,, we don't fight wars like we used to..
Can I answer that when I get back from the mall?
Ahem. George, the Supreme Court is the highest court in the land. All appeals stop there.
Perhaps he plans to continue to operate outside of Constitutional authority.
They just love to use the phrase "wire taps". Ijjits.
No, it is not. There has been no declaration of war, therefore there is not state of war. There are low-scale conflicts here and there.
War does not set aside the Constitution. War is waged to protect the Constitution. One cannot protect an instrument by disregarding it.
The mantra of the media and dems today was its 'domestic eavesdropping' .. which is and out and out lie and obvious distortion.
One cannot protect his enemies if he expects to have a constition to protect any longer.
U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in Detroit on Thursday was the first to find the National Security Agency surveillance program unconstitutional. The program involves monitoring international phone calls and e-mails to and from the United States involving people with suspected ties to terrorists.Ahem. GingisK, last time I checked, Carter appointee and clinton promotee Anna Diggs Taylor had been neither appointed nor confirmed to the Supreme Court.
no that wacko judge is a michigan sup court judge PURPOSLEY picked by the aaclu due to the fact she was appoited by Carter.WE must make sure they dont take back over in nov cause with this ruling the RATS will immediatley start impeachment hearings.Imagine the president getting impeached because he was trying to do the BEST job possible trying to PROTECT AMERICA.If this happens this country will be F-ED UP for a long time.
Are you under the impression this ruling came from the USSC?
Yeah. What the hell is wrong with FISA unless they want to spy on folks they can't get a warrant on? The FISA courts don't have a problem issuing warrants on anyone the administration says is a legitimate target.
So the FISA Court when it said Bush was within the law and followed the FISA COURT guid lines was incorrect?
And you get your information from.....?
Ahem, this was a District judge, not the Supreme Court. I guess you missed that. Must have been while you were studying the Constitution.
The Court of Review found -- and I quote now -- quote, "Simply no basis for the FISA court's reliance on FISA to limit criminal prosecutors' abilities to advise intelligence officials." Close quote. The court also found that the government may use FISA when it has a, quote, "measurable foreign intelligence purpose other than just criminal prosecution." Close quote. Further, the court ruled that so long as the government entertains a realistic option of dealing with the FISA target, other than through criminal prosecution, it satisfies the "significant purpose" test.
http://www.fas.org/irp/news/2002/11/ag111802.html
The court's opinion may be viewed in full at:
http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/doj/fisa/fiscr111802.html
The FISA court has processed tens of thousands of applications over the years. The number they have rejected can be counted on the fingers of Klutzo Butterfingers the Retired Chainsaw Juggler.
The Administration seems to have been driven by an ideological agenda, not any real problem with following the existing procedures.
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There was nothing 'meek' about the President's response, and the idea that he is 'running out the clock' is almost too absurd to debate.
Could you try to actually think before you post next time??
Thanks, GingisK! :)
Yep, I missed that.
Did you see Bush today? I have never seen him so down. His body language,his tone of voice,his state of distraction. And he was late for the presser to boot.It really alarmed me. Did anyone notice this?
It happens to the best of us.
I will be more careful, and hopeful. I am just fit to be tied about how passive we are fighting these koranimals.
LOL!
Gingis.... Beyotch, you've been pwned!!!!!!!!!
I am doing just that. There are domestic enemies of the Constitution. Anyone who advocates setting it aside for any reason is one of those.
I did mistakingly assume that the Supreme Court had made this ruling.
There are plenty of tools already in place to fight terrorism. One does not have to set aside the Constitution or other laws of the land to protect the same. Common sense, if it prevailed, would suffice in most cases. It defies common sense to leave the southern border porous when it would be so easy for terrorists to infiltrate through there. It defies common sense to stop profiling people when they board airplanes. Many things done or not done by the government defy common sense.
As for me being a Democrat .... have you ever wondered how the terms "liberal" and "conservative" were established? It seems that a conservative is one who would preserve the Constitution and our way of life. I have noticed that GWB doesn't do this. He defies many rulings of this nature, and allows our way of life to be trampled by the horde from Mexico. I just don't see how you mistake Bush as being particularly pro-American or pro-Constitution. GWB is a globalist.
I agree. We should stop admitting folks of the Muslim faith into this Nation, and seal the border with Mexico. I'd suggest a Constitutional Amendment to take exception with the validity of Islam as a religion. Then we should gather all of the invaders up, and ship them out.
It would make sense to declare war on Islam ... that would provide the necessary powers without trampling the Constitution.
The Constitution cannot be protected by trampling it. Period.
Please explain.
FISA is not a rubber stamp, they have refused some request, albeit not many from what I have heard.
I am more concerned that the left-vs-right, Democrat-vs-Republican, us-vs-them mentality of American politics will destroy this Nation long before any outside influence. I am concerned that "political correctness" and general government stupidity will render this Nation into serious degradation.
I am concerned that our way of life will be fractured into multiculturalism by unmonitored invasion across the southern border. I am concerned that outsourcing for selfish greed will collapse this country into third world status.
In short, terrorism is one of the least most important problems facing America. I do fear that the America I grew up in will not last much longer.
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He was focused and unwavering in the clips I saw.
Perhaps you were watching something different? Camp David??
He's on top of this war, and it showed in this presser today, IMO.
Yada, yada, yada. One-note Charlies are going to be the death of this place.
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