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Bush reveals rationale behind surveillance
(AP)
Updated: 2006-02-11 09:02 CAMBRIDGE, Md. - President
Bush defended his warrantless eavesdropping program Friday, saying during what
he thought were private remarks that he concluded that spying on Americans was
necessary to fill a gap in the United States' security.
"I wake up every morning thinking about a future attack, and therefore, a lot
of my thinking, and a lot of the decisions I make are based upon the attack that
hurt us," Bush told the House Republican Caucus, which was in retreat at a
luxury resort along the Choptank River on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
The president said he asked the National Security Agency to devise a way to
gather intelligence on terrorists' potential activities, and the result was the
super-secret spy outfit's program to monitor the international e-mails and phone
calls of people inside the United States with suspected ties to terrorists
overseas. Bush said lawyers in the White House and at the Justice Department
signed off on the program's legality, and "we put constant checks on the
program."
"I take my oath of office seriously. I swear to uphold the Constitution and
laws of the United States," Bush said.
The president's comments on the NSA eavesdropping came after six minutes of
remarks intended for public consumption. In them, Bush stroked lawmakers with
thanks and gave a gentle push for his 2006 priorities in a scaled-back version
of last month's State of the Union address.
"I'm looking forward to working with you. And I'm confident we'll continue
the success we have had together," he said. "So I've come to say thanks for your
hard work in the past and thanks for what we're going to do to make this country
continue to be the greatest country on the face of the Earth."
He indirectly pressed his call — difficult in an election year — for Congress
to approve $70 billion in savings from benefit programs such as Medicare,
Medicaid, food stamps and payments to farmers over the next five years, and to
cut dozens of other programs that the White House has determined don't produce
results.
"It's hard work, to cut out and cut back on programs that don't work," Bush
said. "Every program sounds beautiful in Washington, D.C. until you start
analyzing the results."
Reporters then were ushered out — "I support the free press, let's just get
them out of the room," Bush said — so the president could speak privately to his
fellow Republicans.
"I want to share some thoughts with you before I answer your questions," said
Bush, unaware that microphones were still on and were allowing those back in the
White House press room to eavesdrop on his eavesdropping defense. "First of all,
I expect this conversation we're about to have to stay in the room. I know
that's impossible in Washington."
That was not to be — and it was telling that the president chose the
controversial NSA program as the first topic to raise out of reporters' earshot.
Even so, there was no substantive difference between those statements and the
series of public speeches he has given recently on the program.
The eavesdropping program has come under fire from Republicans as well as
Democrats. They argue that Bush already has the authority to monitor such
communications through existing law that requires a warrant from a secret court
set up to act quickly, or even after the fact. Bush has argued that the system
isn't nimble enough.
The titular head of the Republican Party faced a House GOP Caucus in turmoil.
With most of Congress up for re-election in November, the House GOP is just
off a bruising fight to replace former Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, is
grappling with reforming the time-honored congressional tradition of funding
individual pet projects known as earmarks, and faces potentially damaging
revelations in an ongoing public corruption investigation centered on a
high-flying lobbyist with extensive ties to Republicans.
Though the lawmakers gave Bush a standing ovation and interrupted his remarks
several times with applause, questions in the private setting typically are
sharper than in public get-togethers.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan said that Bush kept his prepared
remarks brief so that he would have extra time for the more freewheeling portion
of the discussion, which went on for one hour and 40 minutes. Only the first few
minutes of that — before any lawmakers' questions — were heard by reporters.
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