WH clarifies Bush remark about illegal spying

[Rose Siding]

...Mr. Bush also emphasized that the program was "limited" in nature and designed to intercept communications from known associates of Al Qaeda to the United States. He said several times that the eavesdropping was "limited to calls from outside the United States to calls within the United States."

This assertion was at odds with press accounts and public statements of his senior aides, who have said the authorization for the program required one end of a communication - either incoming or outgoing - to be outside the United States. The White House, clarifying the president's remarks after his appearance, said later that either end of the communication could in fact be outside the United States.

http://nytimes.com/2006/01/02/politics/02spy.html?hp&ex=1136178000&en=53d86a958b035eb1&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Can it be that he just doesn't realize how much about this program has been made public? What would account for him making this error "several times" during the same press op?

[Journeyman]

1. Because the TV soundbites will feature his "limited" comment. . .

while the clarification will be on page 32 of a newspaper relatively much fewer people will read.

[Rose Siding]

5. Will everyone sigh in relief because it isn't "unlimited"?

That's what first came to mind when I read about that -a great big, sarcastic, "Whoo! At least it's not UNlimited. Dodged a constitutional crisis, there, dincha geedub!"

This correction is way down the page- it didn't even rate an earlier wire blurb (that I saw) even though the news is holiday slow.

[C_U_L8R]

2. I say PROVE IT

Show congress and the courts the list of everyone you are spying on,
the evidence that you have to persue each wiretap and individual rationale
why the law needed to be broken (by circumventing the judicial system).

That seem to be the minimum these White House crooks need to do....
and somehow I doubt they will.. and congress will abandon it's duty to
uphold the law (as it's currently doing).

I can't wait for elections just for the opportunity to vote against all these f*ckrs.

[moondust]

3. If it's so innocuous

then why skirt the law?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. What kind of BS is this?

Like Al Qaeda members call people up on the phone? They've known for years that their communications are monitored; that's why they supposedly use couriers. Can you just imagine Osama bin Laden trying to call somebody in the U.S. on the phone?

You are watching TV one evening in your home in, say, Wisconsin. The telephone rings; you pick it up.

"Hello?"

(muffled, whispering voice) "Hey, it's me."

"Who? Who's calling."

(still whispering) "Me."

"I can't hear you. Speak up. Who the hell is this?"

(whispering louder) "You know. Me." (lowers voice) "Osama."

"Oh, hell, Osama, what do you want this time?"

"Listen carefully. The black crow flies at midnight."

"Jeez, Osama, could you be any more obscure?"

(telephone clicks)

"I have to go now. Remember. The black crow flies at midnight."

Click, dial tone.

Of course, this sort of thing happens all the time, which is why the NAS has to eavesdrop on all phone calls from outside the US. Just in case Osama calls somebody.

[lumberjack_jeff]

6. Pretty good reason for the handlers to never let him face a camera

He likes to talk without any of the hard work of knowing what he's talking about.

[InaneAnanity]

7. I say this to Bush

Keep talking. All your statements are being recorded, and the more you lie, the harder the hammer will fall once the investigation commences.

[gratuitous]

8. Oh goody, another clarification

Okay, here we go campers. When the president said "limited" he really meant "unlimited." For "outside the United States," please substitute "any origination point." For "nukefest," please insert the word "negotiations."

That is all.

[kentuck]

9. Gratuitous, you should be a comedian...

That is all.

Seriously. :)

[cantstandbush]

10. How much of this BS is the nation going to put up with? n/t

[robbedvoter]

11. Sigh of relief. All righty then. (Check my sig line)

It's an actial headline dealing withh this:


http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/04/20040420-2.html
"Secondly, there are such things as roving wiretaps. Now, by the way, any time you hear the United States government talking about wiretap, it requires -- a wiretap requires a court order. Nothing has changed, by the way. When we're talking about chasing down terrorists, we're talking about getting a court order before we do so."

Don't ever allow him to live THAT ONE down.

[Oilwellian]

12. By giving the specifics of this spy program

isn't that also giving out classified information? :eyes:

[ddeclue]

13. That's one bell they can't unring...

Of course they had to try...

Doug D.

[Justice Is Comin]

14. I cant wait until they invite Mr. Comey

into the hearings as their first witness. I believe he will be just as entertaining with impeachment producing material as Abramhoff will be under oath for the rest of his covert corrupt jack booted cronies.