Is there a transcript of the White House press briefing for today.

[boston bean]

I could have sworn I heard Tony Snow say, when answering a questions about the NSA database of phone calls:

When you look at the polls Americans don't think it's a big problem, and Helen says that is not how it is now, and he says it depends on how the question is worded as opposed to how it's actually being......

and then he stops himself.

I think he was going to say as opposed to how it's actually being done.

Which is confirmation of the program.

So the phone companies now say they didn't give the NSA anything. So I am to assume they are giving the info to Choice Point and Choice Point is selling it to the NSA.

[uppityperson]

1. here is link to my topic and to wh transcript

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1208772&mesg_id=1208772
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/05/20060516-4.html

[boston bean]

2. thanks I just found it, here is the part i was concerned about:

MR. SNOW: Well, if you go back -- if you go back and you look through what he said, there was a reference to foreign-to-domestic calls. I am not going to stand up here and presume to declassify any kind of program. That is a decision the President has to make. I can't confirm or deny it. The President was not confirming or denying.

Again, I would take you back to the USA Today story, simply to give you a little context. Look at the poll that appeared the following day. While there was -- part of it said 51 percent of the American people opposed, if you look at when people said, if there is a roster of phone numbers, do you feel comfortable that -- I'm paraphrasing and I apologize -- but something like 64 percent of the polling was not troubled by it. Having said that, I don't want to hug the tar baby of trying to comment on the program -- the alleged program -- the existence of which I can neither confirm nor deny.

Q But there are polls that show Americans are very concerned about it.

MR. SNOW: The President -- you cannot run a security -- you cannot base national security on poll numbers. As the President of the United States you have to make your own judgments about what is in the nation's best interest.

Q You just brought it up, though.

MR. SNOW: Well, I did bring it up because what you were talking about is how people were concerned about privacy issues, and I tried to relate to you what happened. It was interesting, when people were given the specifics in that story, they did not seem to be terribly troubled.

Q We are now.

MR. SNOW: Well, that may have more to do with the way it's being spun than the way it's actually -- go ahead.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/05/20060516-4.html

[rodeodance]

3. Tony used the early poll to make his point. damm-he works for Bush!