This morning, President Bush spoke to reporters about the leak of secret information about the tracking of terrorists' international financial transaction. These are the quotes attributed to President Bush by the Associated Press:

The disclosure of this program is disgraceful.

For people to leak that program and for a newspaper to publish it does great harm to the United States of America. It makes it harder to win this war on terror.

Congress was briefed and what we did was fully authorized under the law. We're at war with a bunch of people who want to hurt the United States of America. What we were doing was the right thing.

The American people expect this government to protect our constitutional liberties and at the same time make sure we understand what the terrorists are trying to do. You try to follow their money. And that's exactly what we're doing and the fact that a newspaper disclosed it makes it harder to win this war on terror.

It's hard to say whether this tough talk is a prelude to prosecution or a substitute for prosecution.

Meanwhile, Michael Barone weighs in on "Why do they hate us?" No, not the terrorists. The editors of the New York Times:

Why does the Times print stories that put America more at risk of attack? They say that these surveillance programs are subject to abuse, but give no reason to believe that this concern is anything but theoretical. We have a press that is at war with an administration, while our country is at war against merciless enemies. The Times is acting like an adolescent kicking the shins of its parents, hoping to make them hurt while confident of remaining safe under their roof. But how safe will we remain when our protection depends on the Times?

Both stories via Power Line News.

Posted by John at 11:58 AM  |    |