Laura Bush Defends Domestic Spying Program

[Rose Siding]

ACCRA, Ghana -- First lady Laura Bush said Sunday that the U.S. government is right to eavesdrop on Americans with suspected ties to terrorists, and that President Bush worries that revelations about the domestic spying program will cripple efforts to foil terrorists.

"I think the American people expect the United States government and the president to do what they can to make sure there's not an attack by foreign terrorists," Mrs. Bush said just before landing here to begin a four-day stay in West Africa.

"I think he was worried that it would undermine our efforts by alerting terrorists to what our efforts are," she said.
....
In a 12-minute exchange with reporters on the plane, Mrs. Bush rebuffed criticism that too much of U.S. assistance for battling AIDS in Africa is focused on abstinence programs. She said abstinence, the use of condoms and being faithful to one's sexual partner are all important in curbing the spread of disease.

"I really have always been a little bit irritated by criticism of abstinence because abstinence is absolutely, 100 percent effective in fighting a sexually transmittable disease," she said. "When girls are not empowered, girls are vulnerable, and their chances of being able to negotiate their sexual life with their partners and to make their partner chose a condom are very low."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/15/AR2006011500331.html

[Gatchaman]

1. If Pickles says it;'s okay, it must be okay!

What could possibly go wrong?

[zann725]

107. Pickles actually speaks! She's certainly "no Eleanor Roosevelt."

In the future, her comments should stay on "safer" grounda...like "Every Child Left Behind"...or that program she was pushing...visitng inner-city kids (mostly black)....counseling them less than subtly on their "future"...in areas like say...the National Guard, where her beloved Shrub served so honorably!

[DS1]

2. You CAN spy you fucking bitch!

Just get a warrant like the law says

[sandrakae]

3. This Stepford Wife should not be speaking for the American People.

The American people expect her husband to uphold the constitution.

[EuroObserver]

21. Is she working for the state department now?

Is this normal? Who's paying for this trip (and for the journos accompanying her)?

[saigon68]

57. Here is her leader, the lovely, sweet smiling

Kindasleezy Rice

[adigal]

82. Laura: George and I are very sad about Hurricane KARRINA

She is truly dumb. And if she wants abstinence for people, she should start with that thong-showing daughter of her's, Jenna. It was in the NY tabloids about 6 months ago, how Jenna was on the bar, on her hands and knees, showing off her thong. True?? I don't know, but it was in the papers.

[Spinzonner]

4. And of course George W Bush himself was a well know abstainer

in his youth.

KInd of like his anti-drug promotion.

[yellowdogmi]

103. I wish his father had abstained.

Instead of jacking off into a flower pot and giving us this blooming idiot.

[qanda]

5. Well, then that settles it for me

The King did nothing wrong. Time to move along.

[TaleWgnDg]

72. Indeed . . .

All Hail King George !!

[Submariner]

6. If you say so Pickles

Stepford puppet!

[henslee]

7. Clam up you homicidal, weed dealing, enabling librarian bitch.

Since when did you become a security expert.

[KeepItReal]

26. Please don't diss Librarians when describing that B-asterisk-T-C-H

Thank you very much.

[henslee]

30. Forgive me. You are right. Librarians are wonderful. Too late to edit.

[KeepItReal]

33. No prob.

:hi:

[Southsideirish]

69. "Big Butt" Bush aint' no kind of librarian I ever knew. I'd like to see

her MLS degree - if she has one.

[0007]

76. Having a big butt ain't no crime but having a big mouth & a saucy

'know it all' attitude should be.

[Mike Nelson]

8. Will somebody shove something in her mouth?

...PLEASE!

[MindPilot]

9. She's getting awful uppity.

Good Christian women are supposed to quietly serve their husbands, right? If George were the devout Christian husband he claims to be, he'd backhand her one for getting too mouthy and tell her to get back in the kitchen and make him some pie.

[henslee]

32. Pickles is doing a heck of a job.

[Bob3]

10. Sure lIke * is going to tell you about the details of the wiretaps

Take some more Zantax or Valium or whatever you pop that keeps that glazed look on you face and go lie down.


It's not the spying you spaced out twit - it's spying without any over sight any warrants anything other than *'s word that these taps are justified. And frankly, after all the whoppers your husband and his buddies said before the invasion of Iraq forgive me if I'm not reassured.

And lastly faced between a choice of Abstinence and sex with * I'd pick abstinence. And just to let you in on a little secret dear pickles - women want to do the nasty too. This god damn victorian idea that men are beasts with lusts that women have endure is part of what makes women victims.

[acmavm]

11. Please, someone stuff that horrible creature. back in the closet.

I refuse to admit that that weird creature with the frozen smile and big ass has anything in common with myself, my daughters, or my friends. She reminds me of a female impersonator.

[wordpix2]

50. but--she's the epitome of womanhood, standing by * with her vacant smile

[Liberal Veteran]

12. Shouldn't she more focused on important things....

...like what kind of cakes to serve and how waste yet another set of curtains on her next dress?

:eyes:

[Cocoa]

13. does she explain why Bush can't get warrrants?

i.e., why he can't follow the law?

Was she asked?

[EFerrari]

14. This person is a national shame. You are painfully

embarassing, Mrs B*. And you couldn't tell the truth to save your worthless life.

[Waya]

15. Oh, well......

.....if SHE says it's ok - it must be ok....after all, she is definately the poster child of independent and original thought........

[Libby2]

16. I think she should get her ass back in the kitchen

where she belongs.

[wordpix2]

51. yeah, why isn't she baking some cookies?

[MarinCoUSA]

17. If Pickles speaks = They are in message control desperation mode

Didn't she pile on the Mrs Alito-in-tears media fest.

She is such a pathetic shill for the pathetic con man.

Her "Iam-no-Hillary" political speech at the 2K repuke convention said it all.
Beating the Clinton as pedophile meme:"They come up to me with pictures of their children and say 'Save our children!".

[ginnyinWI]

64. yup

They trot her out everytime Junior gets into another scrape. Last time was post-Katrina--remember the hammers?

[CottonBear]

18. Her complete lack of understanding of African culture and gender relations

is absolutely apalling. :(

[Nomen Tuum]

19. ...if Hillary said that, the Whore Press would demand her death

But when Saint Laura kills her boyfriend and gets slapped on the wrist, well, that's another story.

I'm waiting for Wolf Blitzer to cover the event when Laura walks on water...

[wordpix2]

52. how right you are!

[skooooo]

20. F U Laura!

[DemonFighterLives]

22. Please save us all Laura

Ignore any pertinent evidence of terrorism and spy on us all to your hearts content.

Your method of absinence/birth control by placing your suitor firmly as a hood ornament is probably best.

All praise to the know it all from Stepford!


:hurts:

[NYC]

56. Hood ornament method of birth control.

Really gives her the moral superiority to preach, doesn't it?

[lebkuchen]

23. Her husband is a terrorist

Where does she stand on domestic spying now?

[MrPrax]

24. GOP Directive: Pimp the Pickle!!!

During the cold war, the Russians actually had the advantage because THEY KNEW their press was propaganda and as such were much more likely to figure 'word of mouth' was more reliable...

LOL...just pure unuadulterated propaganda, from not an editor but a Republican strategist, that was told to Pimp the Pickle because of her polling numbers.

Even rank and file Republicans don't give a shit what his wife thinks...no more than anyone cares what the Queen England thinks...hardly appropriate commentary in a so-called democracy and certainly NOT worthy of mention in a legit paper.

[adarling]

25. SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!

i can't stand the "Joker" she drives me nuts, its like queen of the Harpies talking over and over again. She is a complete moron!!

[Geo55]

27. Ahhh, yes....the FEAR card.....yep covers most everything

"I think he was worried that it would undermine our efforts by alerting terrorists to what our efforts are," she said.

Wouldn't want to tip off the bogeymen , would you ?
So shut up....your "right" to privacy is cancelled.....feel safe now ? , I thought so.

[Miss Chybil]

28. Bush: Ok, Laura. You tell 'em. They'll believe you. Ok? You tell 'em.

Besides, your poll numbers are better. I was thinking... well, next time I throw a war... you can tell 'em about that too, ok? Ok? Love you, Pickles, baby...

[Kagemusha]

29. Didn't they tell her? FISA court is s-e-c-r-e-t.

No one knows. It's all hush-hush, shhhhh.

[tmooses]

31. Why do they let her out of the country, where she gets world press

coverage for her idiotic statements?

[sabra]

34. US first lady irked by criticism of Bush AIDS plan

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N15272256.htm

US first lady irked by criticism of Bush AIDS plan


ACCRA, Jan 15 (Reuters) - U.S. first lady Laura Bush opened a four-day trip to West Africa on Sunday full of praise for the continent's first elected woman president but irritated by criticism of promoting abstinence to help combat AIDS.

"She serves as a very important role model for little girls on the continent as well around the world," Bush said of Liberia's Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, whose inauguration she will attend on Monday. "A shining example for all of us."

Johnson-Sirleaf defeated soccer millionaire George Weah in a Nov. 8 presidential runoff and has pledged to heal the wounds of a bloody 14-year civil war that ended in 2003 but left Liberia in ruins and killed 250,000 people.

Bush urged Liberia's president-elect to reach out to young people who did not support her.

[formercia]

35. Abstinence is when you can't give it away

the rest of us have a good time.

[TheCowsCameHome]

42. Good one.

[donco6]

36. Like the choice of being abstinent in W. Africa is up to the girl.

"Yes, 'She serves as a very important role model for little girls on the continent . . . ' so, you girls, don't be sluts and you won't get AIDS!"

Brother.

[wordpix2]

53. like some of these girls being abducted as sex slaves have a choice

[nadinbrzezinski]

37. Poor laura

the full section is playing fer ya:nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity:

[grytpype]

38. I wish Babs and Poppy had practiced abstinence.

Actually I wish they had both been born sterile.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

39. I'd love to know . . .

. . . what kinds of meds she's on. She always looks stoned out of her gourd.

Part of me still pities her. She can't have known what kind of bizarre life whe was entering into 30 years ago. . .

Still, wives leave their violent, insane husbands every day. She chose not to, and her lack of courage has left her permanently stuck. And very, very stoned on something . . .

[NanceGreggs]

40. If only George H.W. Bush & Babs ...

... had gone with 'abstinence only' throughout their entire marriage .. what a better place the world would have been!

[raysr]

41. "Irked", is she "irked"?

Why doesn't she go fuck herself and keep her mouth shut?

[journalist3072]

43. So what are married Africans supposed to do?

That has been my criticism of Bush's AIDS "plan" for Africa all along- that he ties the money to Africa, to abstinence only programs. Are they looking at AIDS from only the perspective of teenagers?

Well what about married Africans? I'd like to see Laura tell some married African to abstain from sex.

Of course, if she was abstaining from Idiot Son, I'd completely understand!!

[susu369]

79. Precisely

how does Pickles propose married women to abstain from sex? Neil bu$h*'s wife might want to - but, hey, that's a whole new subject.

Of course, Pickles is such a perfect role model as a mother.......

[Catrina]

44. You know he's in trouble when he sends Laura out to speak for him

She's about as honest as he is.

Laura, stop trying to change the subject. Spying on people with bad intentions is not the issue.

The issue, which I'm sure she knows, is spying on innocent Americans, and it looks like it was being done for political purposes. That's why we need hearings.

The reporter should have asked why her husband thought a Quaker group was a threat to the US, or a Catholic group who feeds the poor? Surely if these people are threats, every single person in the US is a threat? Is he really that paranoid? Or is it something else? Maybe it's not terrorists he's scared of at all, but anyone who disagrees with him!!

How about a US Senator on the no-fly list? Or the man who wrote a book, critical of her husband's policies?

The reporter should have asked Laura if she knows whether or not the critics she is upset with, were on the spying list!

[rocktivity]

45. All together, now

:boring:
rocknation

[Charlie Brown]

46. Can you imagine if Hillary Clinton had said this

"Hitlery!" "Hitlery!" The radio pundits would still be hammering her for it today. Yet Laura gets a complete free pass.

Amazing

[Placebo]

47. What a fucking idiot.

[celestia671]

48. Laura go somewhere and sit down and...

shut up!

Doesn't this android have a switch on the back of her neck, like CP30, that they can just turn off when she gets annoying?

[jillan]

49. Laura believes in abstinence because she is married to *

If that was my partner, I too, would be a huge advocate of abstinence.

[wordpix]

92. hahahaha

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

54. OK, that's settled...next Bush atrocity-slash-impeachable offense, please!

...S.T.F.U., Laura...S.T.F.U.

I'm "a little bit irritated" having your asshole husband in charge of MY country, so let's call it a DRAW.

[dchill]

55. "their chances of being able to negotiate..."...

abstinence with their partners are very low, too. Especially if they're insensitive brutes like her hubby...

[shanti]

58. pickles, shut your piehole!

your opinion means zilch

[shanti]

59. interesting, this...

"I think the American people expect the United States government and the president to do what they can to make sure there's not an attack by foreign terrorists," Mrs. Bush said just before landing here to begin a four-day stay in West Africa.

shouldn't she have said "ANOTHER attck by foreign terrorists"? or does she know something we don't know?

[daleo]

60. Thank you Mrs. Nixon

Nice to know your opinion.

[Cha]

61. Is this what they meant when

they warned they were going to get pickles out to speak for them to try and get their pols up?

[Olney Blue]

62. "I really have always been a little bit irritated"

Cut the crap-say what you mean- you are PISSED when anyone questions
the ill-advised policies of this administration.

[SOS]

63. Ummm....Laura

Al Qaeda stopped using telephones in 1998 after Orrin Hatch and the Washington Times blabbed about US electronic surveillance.
Nice try though.
Suggestion for Howard Dean: Get a bug sweeper.

[cornermouse]

65. Why would we care about what Laura thinks?

She's an idiot.

[truthisfreedom]

66. and when have they trotted out "boyfriend killer" laura before?

whenever georgie's in twubbow.

[DesEtoiles]

67. If they know of suspected terrorists in US - ARREST THEM!!!!! Jeez.

[spindrifter]

68. Laura is testing the wind on a lot

of fronts--this and Condi's presidential aspirations. Come on........she didn't have anything to say before, so what's the deal?

[tanyev]

70. Laura Bush: Official GOP Weather Balloon.

How's the temperature up there, Laura?

[muriel_volestrangler]

74. And Official Fallback Spokeswoman, when the politicians look too dishonest

When the whole of the White House and Republican Congress look like the bunch of crooks they are, they have to wheel out Laura to make political points, in the hopes that some people will say "oh, she's not one of these politicians who say one thing and mean another - she never accepted bribes to change her policy - so maybe she's right". But when she says things like this, it just shows she's a fully paid-up Bushbot who agrees with what her disgusting husband is doing to the world. She's a Running Dog of Fascism.

[savemefromdumbya]

71. C'mon Laura why didn't they catch the terrorists BEFORE 9/11 then

what about an attack by American born terrorists? Terrorists don't have to be foreign.

[antonialee839]

73. I agree with Laura on the spying thing, I think we all need to

be kept safe from people such as the Quakers and that wily terrorist Christiane Amanpour.

[Binka]

75. Hey EveryBody You Know She Means Us When She Says This

"I think he was worried that it would undermine our efforts by alerting terrorists to what our efforts are," she said." 'Nuff said.

Peyton The Fairy Says " Go arse yerself Laura."

[CJCRANE]

77. How come Pickles gets the Africa gig?

Shouldn't that be Condi's job (as Sec of State)?

[splat@14]

78. Not only is her taste in men lacking, she's stupid as well.

[BikeWriter]

80. Put her in jail, too!

[robbedvoter]

81. Shouldn't "lump in the bed" be sweeping the porch or sumpthin'?

Maybe she should polish her old "policy initiatives' - such as the one of putting a phone in every classroom and the one about getting retired army officers to teach...whatever hsppened of them bright ideas Picckes? Got squished like your ex boyfriend you run over?

[DeepModem Mom]

83. WT: Laura fires back at critics (of husband's anti-AIDS programs)

Laura fires back at critics
By Bill Sammon
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
January 16, 2006


ACCRA, Ghana -- First lady Laura Bush yesterday said she was "irritated" by outside criticism of her husband's anti-AIDS programs in Africa as being focused too heavily on abstinence and not enough on condoms.

Mrs. Bush, on a trip to West Africa to witness the inauguration of the continent's first elected female president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, also defended a National Security Agency program to eavesdrop on foreign al Qaeda suspects who communicate with Americans....But she was most annoyed by a question about AIDS and the U.S. policy to emphasize abstinence, which the reporter asking her said "some people have equated...with Christian moralism."

"I'm always a little bit irritated when I hear the criticism of abstinence, because abstinence is absolutely 100 percent effective in eradicating a sexually transmitted disease," Mrs. Bush said, before tying her answer in with one of the major themes of her trip, women's rights in Africa.

"In a country or a part of the world where one in three people have a sexually transmitted deadly disease, you have to talk about abstinence, you really have to," she said. "In many countries where girls feel obligated to comply with the wishes of men, girls need to know that abstinence is a choice."

She also said AIDS can be curbed by the correct use of condoms and by being faithful to one's partner....


http://www.washtimes.com/national/20060116-124016-1477r.htm

[peekaloo]

84. Wifey always steps up when the POS is slipping in support.

:puke:

[opihimoimoi]

85. Wrong words in the wrong time and wrong place...she married Wrong

[stepnw1f]

86. Bush... Stop Hiding Behind Your Wife

eck...

[joefree1]

87. Moonie Times on LBN?

This should be on LBYJ, i.e. late breaking yellow journalism.

The Times was founded in 1982 by Reverend Sun Myung Moon, leader of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (Unification Church), to be a conservative alternative to the larger and older Washington Post. To this day, it is widely perceived as maintaining a generally right-leaning editorial stance. The Unification Church has spent over $1 billion establishing the paper and subsidising its losses.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Times

[DeepModem Mom]

90. I think WT is allowed here if it has news of interest --

and I think most of us know its history, as we often call it the "Moonie Times." You're right, however -- I would never post its story on something of importance if there was a different source available.

[joefree1]

93. No worries

I just like to point out where Moonie Times and Faux News come from every chance I get. It's sorta of my crusade. :)

[DeepModem Mom]

94. Not a bad policy! nt

[goclark]

88. Laura the Librarian telling the world

what to do.

Is there no end to the stupid remarks made by these subhumans!

[superconnected]

91. She is no longer a librarian.

She's an unemployed niquil addict who's supports mass murder, illegal spying, and ultra rw corruption with a nazi agenda.

I see where she's coming from with abstinence because if I was married to him, I'd insist on abstinence too. Unfortunately her saying that to women in patriarchial countries where they often don't have the choice of abstinence just goes to prove, again, what an imbecile she is.

[goclark]

95. II agree, she needs to shut her mouth

but they put her up to all this "wisdom."

[stanwyck]

96. She was a librarian for about 5 minutes

and since then has been held up as some kind of model educator. She's not. She scrambled out of the workplace to be a professional political wife. Fine. But she should not be held up as the last word on education. There are thousands of teachers and librarians with 20+ years on the job. Talk to them.
Besides, Laura is too busy solving gang violence. Hubby could think of "no one better qualified" than Laura for that job. And she's spent about as much time on that as she did her library gig.
I actually miss Nancy Reagan.

[silvermachine]

106. Don't really see...

...what being a librarian has to do with anything. She was one very, very briefly. And librarians have been on the front lines in terms of fighting against the Patriot Act and holding the line on freedom of speech and access to information isssues.

[Botany]

89. Abstinence programs do nothing to stop the spread of aids condoms do.

We need to get these fundy nut balls out of the making foreign policy.

[JudyM]

97. ... but, but Laura said abstinence is 100% effective! n/t

[Thor_MN]

99. Well it is, except for this one time? At Band Camp?

People are 100% abstinent when talking to the "Holier Than Thou" crowds that promote it, but when the lights go out, definitions change...

[Obamarama]

98. Oh great...now we get to hear from the freakin' peanut gallery.

Go back to teching elementary school, Laura. It suits you better.

[freethought]

100. Is she defending abstinence because it is effective against

STDs? Or is she defending abstinence because HER sex life is lousy? Why not defend abstinence, if she can't get good sex why should anyone else?

These past five years I have avoided going after Laura Bush on the basis that I believe that she is a pawn being moved willy nilly around the board. I think it's time for me to stop this practice. Agreed?

[goforit]

101. bush never has been able to stand on his own two feet.

Mommy, Daddy, wifey laura always have to come running to
protect baby bush.

[madmark]

102. So the first bitch doesn't see a problem with violating the 4th amendment;

great

[MissMillie]

104. Why don't people get it?

It's not the spying! It's the fact that they're not obtaining the proper warrants!

Dammit! You need a warrant? You've got 3 days AFTER THE FACT to get the blasted warrant. And warrants are VERY RARELY denied, so what possible reason would anyone have for not getting a warrent?

[superconnected]

105. uh, if they have no reason to spy and it's not foreigners they're after

and the ppl they spy on are not communicating with foreigners.

When reason is missing from the warrant request, I suppose it could be denied.

They've been saying for a few years now that spies are in peace meetings and putting peoples names on lists. What could the bush administration write on the warrant ... uh, attending an anti-walmart meeting in their neighborhood with their neighbors, all of which are white americans, none who have emailed or corresponded with anyone out of the country...ate chocolate chip cookies... chocolate likely from cocoa beans shipped from central America.

[reprobate]

108. You mean Laura Bush, the constitutional scholar?

[Marthe48]

109. What an uninformed bimbo she is

I wish George and Barbie had practiced abstinence, maybe we wouldn't have an illegally installed psychotic despot illegally spying on American citiznes.