Commentary on the Presidential Weekly Radio Address

Hey folks,

This morning I posted the Weekly Radio Address by President Bush. Here is my take on it.

President Bush: Good morning. This week I visited with troops at Charleston Air Force Base. These fine men and women are serving courageously to protect our country against dangerous enemies. The terrorist network that struck America on September the 11th wants to strike our country again. To stop them, our military, law enforcement, and intelligence professionals need the best possible information about who the terrorists are, where they are, and what they are planning.

And they do NOT need invariant harassment and hindrance by the LWL.

One of the most important ways we can gather that information is by monitoring terrorist communications. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act -- also known as FISA -- provides a critical legal foundation that allows our intelligence community to collect this information while protecting the civil liberties of Americans. But this important law was written in 1978, and it addressed the technologies of that era. This law is badly out of date -- and Congress must act to modernize it.

Modernize it? They want to kill it. The only people they want spying on and silencing Americans is THEM. They have no interest in improving it. They SHOULD , but that would mean working WITH the President.

Today we face sophisticated terrorists who use disposable cell phones and the Internet to communicate with each other, recruit operatives, and plan attacks on our country. Technologies like these were not available when FISA was passed nearly 30 years ago, and FISA has not kept up with new technological developments. As a result, our Nation is hampered in its ability to gain the vital intelligence we need to keep the American people safe. In his testimony to Congress in May, Mike McConnell, the Director of National Intelligence, put it this way: We are "significantly burdened in capturing overseas communications of foreign terrorists planning to conduct attacks inside the United States."

To fix this problem, my Administration has proposed a bill that would modernize the FISA statute. This legislation is the product of months of discussion with members of both parties in the House and the Senate -- and it includes four key reforms: First, it brings FISA up to date with the changes in communications technology that have taken place over the past three decades.

This makes sense. Another reason they {the LWL} will not be interested.


Second, it seeks to restore FISA to its original focus on protecting the privacy interests of people inside the United States, so we don't have to obtain court orders to effectively collect foreign intelligence about foreign targets located in foreign locations.

Yes but they will not buy this either. They WANT to know EVERYTHING about ANYTHING the administration does. By requiring court orders, they will have more knowledge. Even if this has nothing to do with them.

Third, it allows the government to work more efficiently with private-sector entities like communications providers, whose help is essential.

Remember the big to do about this before?

And fourth, it will streamline administrative processes so our intelligence community can gather foreign intelligence more quickly and more effectively, while protecting civil liberties.

But the templet of the LWL is that Bush spies on Americans. I would be EXTREMELY surprised if they go with this. They may say they will work on it, but most likely try to twist it into something for THEIR benifit.

Every day that Congress puts off these reforms increases the danger to our Nation.


ABSOLUTELY!!! Way to go Mr. President!

Our intelligence community warns that under the current statute, we are missing a significant amount of foreign intelligence that we should be collecting to protect our country. Congress needs to act immediately to pass this bill, so that our national security professionals can close intelligence gaps and provide critical warning time for our country.

As the recent National Intelligence Estimate reported, America is in a heightened threat environment. Reforming FISA will help our intelligence professionals address those threats -- and they should not have to wait any longer. Congress will soon be leaving for its August recess. I ask Republicans and Democrats to work together to pass FISA modernization now, before they leave town. Our national security depends on it.

Meanwhile the Democrats have been denouncing the Iraqi Government for taking recess. But they have no problem doing it. They have no problem NOT passing anything that could be a sign to their looney base as helping the President, or attempting to win this war, even if by NOT doing it puts America and Americans at risk.

President Bush seems to be finally saying it like it is. This is a GREAT sign. Hey, he’s out in about a year and a half. By ignoring these idiots, appeasing these idiots, playing their idiotic and pointless games, he will get nothing done. By finally standing up and staying enough, screw you, I’m going to run this country, he may. I for one am glad to see it.
Peter