Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media

By Wendy Wang
The President's Schedule

President called the Iraqi President Talibani and Prime Minister Ibrahim Jafari to congratulate them on a successful election. He commends the Iraqi people for their courage in coming out to vote in large numbers and broad participation across ethnic groups. The president stated that the US is committed to helping Iraqi defeat terrorists and "Saddamists." The Iraqi leadership thanks the President for his strong support. He then spoke to Israel Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon to wish Sharon well and expressed his pleasure that Sharon is out of the hospital. Sharon thanks Bush and said that he felt very well. The two leaders then discussed the Middle East and Bush expressed his appreciation for Sharon's leadership.

The President then had his usual briefings and before traveling to the State Department to participate in a Swearing-in Ceremony for the Chief Executive Officer of Millennium Challenge Corporation. Later he returns to the White House and signs H.R. 2520, the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005, in the Roosevelt Room. He has his policy time this afternoon and then participated in the final holiday reception of the year. That's the 26th reception in 21 days, with around 9,100 participants.

NSA Wiretapping.

Asked about the President's authority to issue an executive order giving the NSA authority to conduct surveillance, McClellan cited that Article II under the Constitution gave Bush the necessary and appropriate authority to issue this order as we are facing a different kind of enemy and we are fighting a different kind of war. McClellan stressed that we are facing a new kind of threat and this measure is necessary to prevent another attack. He notes that there has not been another attack since 9/11 and cites that the president will do all that is necessary to prevent another attack under the rules of law.

Asked about the legality of such a move to sidestep the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), McClellan stated that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales explained all that at a briefing the previous day. McClellan cites the Attorney General's argument that FISA is not applicable to what they were trying to accomplish as FISA was created for different purposes in a different time. McClellan stresses that the intent of this executive order is to obtain information about the enemy from parties with clear connections to Al Qaeda. He recalls Bush's end of the year press conference the previous day and uses one example the president used of highjackers who flew the plane into the Pentagon on 9/11. The highjackers's communication, via phone with an Al Qaeda leader could have been intercepted and perhaps the highjacking could have been prevented under the NSA program, McClellan said. He add, after 9/11 the president was committed to do everything within his power to protect the American people within Constitutional powers.

Reporters argued that the President could have intercepted phone conversations anyway with a warrant from FISA courts. McClellan interjected that General Michael Hayden spoke about the legalities along with the Attorney General. Never the less, reporters pointed out those knowledgeable constitutional attorneys are disputing the legality of what the President has done. McClellan stated that he strongly disagrees with that assertion.

McClellan takes a question regarding a possible Justice investigation into who leaked the wiretapping information to the New York Times. He acknowledges that there is a process underway within the Justice Department but would not confirm that there is an ensuing investigation. He claims that since the Justice Department would not confirm if such an investigation is underway, he would not.

Reporters then asked McClellan what the President believes he is NOT allowed to do. McClellan denies that that is that case, stating that safe guards are in place to protect the American people. He took the opportunity to urge Congress, the Senate in particular, pass the Patriot Act as the Patriot Act helped break up and disrupt terrorist activities.

McClellan says he does not know if the Senate Judiciary Committee's investigation into the wiretapping case will spill over into the Alito confirmation hearing to come before the Judiciary Committee in mid-January. He said he did not hear anything to that regard, but did quote the president as emphasizing the importance of confirming Alito and looks forward to a speedy confirmation.

Asked if the Democratic Senators' claim that they were not sufficiently briefed on the matter undermines what the President has said, McClellan responds that Congress was briefed over a dozen times. As to the Senators not given full details of the executive order, McClellan replied that he will not get into a discussion over that matter. Nor will he discuss Senator Rockefeller's letter to Vice President Cheney regarding the Senator's concerns over the wiretaps. He states that the Administration was concerned with connecting the dots as was recommended by the 9/11 Commission as Al Qaeda is still a threat. McClellan stated that he will not discuss operational activities. There are reasons why he would not discuss sources and methods.