Bush claims Ashcroft incident: "highly classified subject" - Comey debunks argument

[sabra]

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2007/05/bush_wont_say_i.html#more

<snip>

O’DONNELL: Thank you, sir. There's been some very dramatic testimony before the Senate this week from one of your former top Justice Department officials, who describes a scene that some senators called stunning, about a time when the wireless -- when the warrantless wiretap program was being reviewed. Sir, did you send your then-chief of staff and White House counsel to the bedside of John Ashcroft while he was ill, to get him to approve that program? And do you believe that kind of conduct from White House officials is appropriate?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Kelly, there's a lot of speculation about what happened and what didn't happen. I'm not going to talk about it. It's a very sensitive program.
I will tell you that one, the program is necessary to protect the American people, and it's still necessary, because there's still an enemy that wants to do us harm. And therefore I have an obligation to put in place programs that honor the civil liberties of the American people, a program that was, in this case, constantly reviewed and briefed to the United States Congress. And the program, as I say, is an essential part of protecting this country.

And so there will be all kinds of talk about it. As I say, I'm not going to move -- move the issue forward by talking about something as highly sensitive -- highly classified subject. I will tell you, however, that the program is necessary.


....

The president obviously could've answered the question without getting into classified information. James Comey, the former Justice Department official who described Gonzales's visit said quite clearly earlier this week in congresional testimony that he wouldn't discuss anything classified.

Yet he talked openly about Gonzales's remarkable visit to the hospital room.

So why wouldn't the president?

[jgraz]

1. "So why wouldn't the president?" Because he's a coward and a criminal.

Oh, was that supposed to be rhetorical?

[Hubert Flottz]

2. "So why wouldn't the president?"

Bush thinks he don't need to answer to anyone, for anything, because he's the KING and he's above the laws that govern everyone else in America.

[Uben]

3. It's time we took that crown and....

....use it as a suppository! Time to give the criminals what they deserve... a long vscation in a prison cell!

[Hubert Flottz]

8. They don't even know how to approach THE KING!

They still think they can play nice!

[sheerjoy]

4. Because

he and his evil twin - Hitler - are above answering anyone.

[madrchsod]

5. has anyone told him that 70% of the american people

are fed up with him and his ideas? has anyone told him that there is an election next year and he`s not included?

if the democrats decided to actually agree on something of substance maybe the american people would respond. right now the american people are fed up with both parties

[bdamomma]

6. highly classified BS, he has committed a crime.

keep hiding behind that "executive privilege" stuff, he is not immuned to prosecution.

[dogday]

7. Chicken Shit Chicken Hawk

What a waste product this man is... He makes me want to vomit, preferably in his direction....

[Disturbed]

9. The FISA Law is merely a quaint relic, pre- 911 nuisance.

Busholini violated that Law at least 30 times. 30 Felonies are not enough to Impeach these days.

[Connonym]

10. W been looking in the mirror?

"because there's still an enemy that wants to do us harm" Ironic that he's our worst enemy.

[leftwingnut]

12. Exactly...

...who's got the Shrub's phone tapped?

If anyone should have their phones tapped...

[Supersedeas]

11. the changed the subject TO the program INSTEAD of talking about the incident

[damntexdem]

13. Hey, it's classified -- it threatens ...

the prez with impeachment!

;-)