Saying it doesn't make it so

Defiant Bush defends wiretapping powers

· Democrats scent blood after reining in privileges
· Court approval would take too long, says president

Julian Borger and Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington
Tuesday December 20, 2005
The Guardian


George Bush claimed yesterday that he had the constitutional authority to order phone taps on US citizens without court approval, but denied he was seeking "unchecked power".
snip...

"To say unchecked power basically is ascribing some kind of dictatorial position to the president, which I strongly reject," he told a White House press conference.

But Democrats in Congress alleged that the White House had used the September 11 attacks as a pretext for a stealthy accumulation of extraordinary powers. Senator Russ Feingold declared: "The president has stated a doctrine that he can just make up the law and create whatever other powers he wants on his own."

snip...

Mr Bush said he had the power to order wiretaps not only from the constitution, which vests commander-in-chief responsibilities in the presidency, but also in Congress's vote in 2002 to authorise him to go to war in Iraq. Democrats denied that vote gave the White House any such authority and some legal experts questioned the strength of his argument.

"This is certainly not at the strength you would want to see to justify such a disturbing incursion on civil liberties," said Neil Richards, a law professor at Washington University in St Louis. "It is one thing to say that the authorisation of force amended all those statutes without saying so, and quite another thing to prove that."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1671093,00.html

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The Chimp needs to go cut some logs or ride some bikes if he wants to maintain his fantasy life. Government cannot take any more of his duplicitous behavior.

set him off. But I did check the transcript of the WH press briefing today www.whitehouse.gov, which has some absolutely amazing stuff by Gonzales.