Monday 19 December 2005

Angry Bush Invokes 70's Spoof Movie To Justify Spying On Citizens

Brusque Off-Camera Exchange With Reporter; Three Day Blitz Part Of New White House Tour Plans

Following a nationally-televised press conference from the White House this morning, an agitated President Bush exchanged terse statements with a reporter shortly after ending the session and going off-camera.

Still bristling from a question asked in the press conference, about "unchecked presidential authority" the President buttoned-holed the reporter, and, with sticking his finger in the reporters' chest, said angrily;

"I'm in the drivers seat! … I'm running the show! … I'm the fucking President!"

The President then turned and stormed away from the gathering amidst shouting reporters wanting clarification.

A few minutes later, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan attempted to characterize President Bush as "having a little fun with you guys".

McClellan offered a private interview to the assembled reporters if they could name the movie the President used but none did before McClellan told them about "The Groove Tube".

Bush was invoking a quote from the popular 1974 movie, "The Groove Tube", a collection of satirizing skits.

The press conference this morning was the third consecutive day of a media offensive by the White House, with the President wrapping himself in duties of his office as a means to justify the war in Iraq and the new revelation of wiretapping telephone calls of American citizens/

"I took an oath to defend the Constitution, and I have no greater responsibility than to protect our people, our freedom, and our way of life," the President has said repeatedly and often.

The media blitz, following his four speeches laying out his new "National Strategy For Victory In Iraq" over the past two-weeks, as well as granting interviews to network anchors. All are part of a new plan by the White House to extend the Presidents speaking schedule.

After declining to comment to PBS's Jim Leher on Friday night, about the disclosure by the "New York Times" earlier in the day of a program authorized by the President to allow the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on American citizens' telephone calls, the President shifted gears on Saturday, beginning with his weekly "Radio Address".

In the address, the President cited the Patriot Act as giving him the powers, as well as saying "to fight the war on terror, I am using authority vested in me by Congress, including the Joint Authorization for Use of Military Force, which passed overwhelmingly in the first week after September the 11th. I'm also using constitutional authority vested in me as commander in chief.

However, the White House took the unusual step of allowing television cameras to broadcast the Radio Address, live, as opposed to the typical action or recording the address for later broadcast.

On Sunday, the President took to the national airwaves again, with another address, this time from the Oval Office.

In his nearly 17-minute speech, the President again, hit the themes that he was authorized by Congress and has the powers as Commander in Chief from the Constitution to conduct such an intelligence gathering program.

All of this follow the disclosures over the past month that the U.S. Military has been paying a consulting agency to plant pro-American stories in Iraqi newspapers, and that the Pentagon was gathering information on domestic individuals and groups who were participating in anti-war demonstrations and programs.

In today's press conference, the President cited the Senate's blocking the renewal of the Patriot act as "shameful" and inexcusable", saying it was "an essential tool" in the fight against terrorism.

In his speeches and addresses over the weekend, and in today's press conference, the President repeatedly stated that "Congress gave me authority," in reference to his authorizing the spying program. The President also added that Congress has been advised and that he plans on continuing using the program.

Critics, both Democrats and Republicans are puzzled that the White House has hot used the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA.) and gone to the FISA Court, which has, overwhelmingly, granted warrants for wiretaps. The FISA Act also allows for applying for the wiretaps after-the-fact, within 72-hours, under special or extreme circumstances.

Senator Arlen Spector (R-PA), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he intends to hold hearings.

"They talk about constitutional authority," Specter said. "There are limits as to what the president can do."

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) acknowledged he had been briefed on the four-year-old domestic spy program "a couple months ago."

"The president can't pass the buck on this one. This is his program," Reid said on "Fox News Sunday." "He's commander in chief. But commander in chief does not trump the Bill of Rights."

"The president has, I think, made up a law that we never passed," said Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI"I tell you, he's President George Bush, not King George Bush. This is not the system of government we have and that we fought for."

McClellan refused to confirm or deny if the President would be using any additional quotes from movies to defend his actions.

"He does like Clint Eastwood films," offered the Press Secretary, "so, maybe, at the next press conference, he might ask one of you to make his day."

White House Councilor Harriet Miers has to duck photo- graphers, and under the wires and equipment that allows President Bush to listen to wiretapped telephone calls, live, in real-time, from the Oval Office.