Has to be Les Kinsolving ....he's a regular ... usually in the back of the press room .. a gadfly as old as Helen Thomas.
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.
Has to be Les Kinsolving ....he's a regular ... usually in the back of the press room .. a gadfly as old as Helen Thomas.
I sure do remember. They always find a way to disrespect Republican first ladies. But Barbara has had the last laugh.
That's because many, if not most of them are closet racists. How else to explain much of what they do.
Me, too, and that's saying something because I've never voted for a Dem in my life.
Thanks for letting me know, STARWISE. He wasn't honest enough to admit that his beef was that conservative talk radio hosts were invited.
It's about the US Air Force fighter jets and the new Air Force F-22 Raptor, but there's also voiceovers from FDR, Kennedy, Reagan and a LOT of W, after 911. Goosebumpy.
Too many Senators....
BTW...there was a debate on Fox and Friends this morning between Mike Gallagher and David Corn...and Corn ADMITTED that the holding up of the Patriot Act, and the cries for an investigation into what NYTimes printed yesterday are purely political...
Gallagher jumped on his use of the phrase "for political purposes"...and refused to listen to Corn because he is "anti-American"....LOL..it was so funny...
I thought Corn was gonna come unglued!
I adore Barbara Bush! There was a news article a while back where she had been speaking somewhere and was talking about during her life having lived through two presidents and having gone up 3 dress sizes, although the article had misquoted her as saying "3 breast sizes". She wrote a very funny letter to the paper saying she had to get something off her chest, that she had said 3 DRESS sizes! Anybody else remember this?
She would be one person I would love to sit down and have a conversation with!
I so agree with you. She is funny and a fantastic role model as a mother and grandmother. She is American Pie. :)
Why is it the media doesn't get "secret" to mean - SECRET FROM THE ENEMY!!
Oh right .. maybe because .. THEY ARE THE ENEMY!!
I can't say the same thing. I was in college when JFK was running. The speeches he gave then were inspiring, I thought. And if you read the words today, they sound like speeches Reagan or W would give.
And I hated Nixon. Not only did I think he was a crook, I thought wage and price controls were evil.
When Reagan said that he "didn't leave the Dem party, it left him", I knew exactly what he meant. If this was 1960 again, JFK would be the GOP candidate and Nixon would be the Dem.
I haven't changed my beliefs, but the party that supports them certainly has. But that support gets frail when we get people like McCain and his toady Lindsey Graham in there. The MSM love them because they can be counted on to trash W at every opportunity, which is one big reason why I think we'd be best to be done with them.
Hi CyberAnt. Isn't this just an amazing question coming from an American reporter who lived through 9/11/01? "Why do you have to have secret orders then?"
You're right. They are the enemy. Literally.
Lindsay Graham. Ugh! I cannot stand that man. Another one I can do without is Chuckie Hagel. Another McCain sycophant.
Hello Wolfie thanks for the dose
Hi snugs. You're welcome. You'll notice I posted the Vice President's itinerary for next week.
He does not look a happy chappie nor should he after all national security is serious business and IMHO people are trying to score political points or even worse the limelight.
Twice in 3 days
McCain stares fixedly into space while the PRESIDENT talks with Sen. John Warner (R-VA).
@@@@
McCain would not stop talking yesterday, while sitting in that chair, when President Bush asked him for a comment. I know he was thinking how he should have been sitting in the chair to his left!! Ha Ha Ha, John - that is never going to happen!!
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