White House steps up defense of domestic spying

[samhsarah]

By David Jackson, USA TODAY

The White House launches a political campaign this week, not for a candidate but for a controversial program: warrantless surveillance of some U.S. citizens by the National Security Agency.

President Bush plans to defend the program in a counterterrorism speech today at Kansas State University, aides said. The speech will kick off a flurry of administration activity leading to Senate hearings scheduled for Feb. 6.

"We are stepping up our efforts to educate the American people about this vital tool in the war on terrorism," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. (Related story: Lawmakers say they will press administration on spying)

At the administration appearances, Bush and aides plan to repeat arguments they have made before: This is a limited program that kicks in only when one of the parties is beyond U.S. borders and has some kind of link to the al-Qaeda terrorist organization.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/whitehousestepsupdefenseofdomesticspying;

[Sparkly]

1. "educate the American people about this vital tool"

Translation: Shift the debate to a strawman argument over why "this vital tool" is important, NOT why following the law to protect civil liberties is important. :eyes:

[zanne]

2. And the media will be more than happy to help out. nt

[jimshoes]

3. They are like a cancer

on this land. Insidious, persistent, malignant.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

4. Iffin any of you DUer's see a Quaker, a Sierra Club member, a

Peta member or a person against the war... please advise them that their civil rights have been eclipsed and also do tell them to stop calling Osama. Thank you for your attention, we now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

[stepnw1f]

5. They are Criminals with NO DEFENSE

Behind bars they can say what they want. Their actions and it's consequences have been documented. We have a case against these freaks that will put them away for life! WE THE PEOPLE have to do this. It is inevitable.

[C_U_L8R]

6. They broke the law

They continue to break the law.

Nuff said.

[HereSince1628]

7. I take that as a good sign. Rove is definitely worried and working it

Let's hope it makes them really desperate and they go completely over the top.

[Arkansas Granny]

8. So, who is he going to preach to this time? Probably some of

die-hard supporters so they can declare that his policy is overwhelmingly accepted by the public. There is no way he will discuss a controversial issue with anyone who disagrees with him.

One of the things about this program that bothers me most is that he could have done it legally, but he chose not to. This seems to be a childish trait of trying to spite your opponents just for the sake of doing it.

[kentuck]

9. They are so good, Specter will be ashamed to have hearings...

on this matter. He was just trying to protect us....anyway he had the authority.