Lying in the New Year

So I guess George didn't give up lying for the New Year. In his first press appearance of 2006, Bush insisted this time that his NSA spy program only intercepted in-coming calls to the U.S. from known terrorist or terrorist affiliates.

(snip)
"It's seems logical to me that if we know there's a phone number associated with al-Qaida or an al-Qaida affiliate and they're making phone calls, it makes sense to find out why," Bush said. "They attacked us before, they'll attack us again."

Bush's assertion brings to mind many questions like: With our recent history of intelligence failures, how did we know that they were terrorists? And, If we did know that they were terrorists, why didn't we just get a warrant and listen legally? And, isn't telling the terrorists that we only listen to incoming calls "emboldening" them with specific information about a classified program. Or was that statement just another "Presidential Perogative" moment. And finally, what the hell is a terrorist affiliate?

(snip)
"This is a limited program designed to prevent attacks on the United States of America and, I repeat, limited," he said. "I think most Americans understand the need to find out what the enemy's thinking".

No George! I think it is more important to national security that we know what the hell you are thinking. What makes these claims even more suspect is today's Newsweek article which details the behind-the-scenes maneuvering by the administration to get Justice Department approval of Bush's controversial "limited spy program".

(snip)
NEWSWEEK has learned, ferocious behind-the-scenes infighting stalled for a time the administration's ambitious program of electronic spying on U.S. citizens at home and abroad.
On one day in the spring of 2004, White House chief of staff Andy Card and the then White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales made a bedside visit to John Ashcroft, attorney general at the time, who was stricken with a rare and painful pancreatic disease, to try "without success" to get him to reverse his deputy, Acting Attorney General James Comey...

All of this just doesn't add up. I don't believe that the spying was limited. There had to be something really wrong if even John Ashcroft wouldn't sign off on it.

In this new year I would like to think that the main stream media will finally start doing their jobs unfortunately, I'm not sure that they will. However, there is one thing in 2006 that we can all be certain of - George Bush and his constant stream of lies.

Happy New Year!

Update

According to the Washington Post the Whitehouse clarified (read - Bush doesn't know what he is talking about) that the NSA spy program monitored both incoming and outgoing calls. Apparently George mispoke when making his main point at the presser on Sunday - oops!