http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/nsa_phone_records;_ylt=AvFEzb7RGZVSWuPuKKr6rW6s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--White House Stands by Hayden Nomination
By KATHERINE SHRADER, Associated Press Writers 1 hour, 53 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - The White House continued to stand by its nominee for
CIA director, Gen. Michael Hayden, amid new controversy over the surveillance programs he piloted as head of the National Security Agency.
Hayden was to meet with senators on Friday, his fifth day of face-to-face sessions on Capitol Hill since a Monday morning breakfast with Senate Intelligence Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan.
"We're full steam ahead on his nomination," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Thursday.
Lawmakers have been demanding information from the Bush administration about the NSA's efforts to collect records on millions of Americans' phone calls.
The disclosure, reported in Thursday editions of USA Today, could complicate
President Bush's bid to win Hayden's confirmation. It also renewed concerns about civil liberties and questions about the legal underpinnings for the government's actions.