Helen Thomas hits McClellan: 'You know what happened to Nixon when he broke the

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" Zepp " <zepp

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 20:31:21 -0800

[Zepps_News] #Helen Thomas hits McClellan on taps: 'You know

what happened to Nixon when he broke the law'

 

 

 

 

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/White_House_press_secretary_gets_in_0206.html

 

Reporter hits McClellan on taps: 'You know what happened to Nixon when

he broke the law'

 

RAW STORY

Published: February 6, 2006

 

 

 

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan got in a heated row with a

White House correspondent at Monday's press briefing over President

Bush's warrantless domestic spying program, RAW STORY has learned.

 

The questioner, outspoken liberal columnist Helen Thomas, has been

covering the White House since President John F. Kennedy, asks McClellan

if Bush should obey the law.

 

The relevant part of transcript follows. RAW STORY has confirmed the

questioner was Helen Thomas. Crooks and Liars has the video.

 

 

#

 

Q: Does the president think he should obey the law? He put his hand on

the Bible twice to uphold the Constitution. Wiretapping is not legal

under the circumstances without a warrant.

 

MR. MCCLELLAN: Well, I guess you didn't pay attention to the attorney

general's hearing earlier today, because he walked through very clearly

the rationale behind this program.

 

Q There is no rationale --

 

MR. MCCLELLAN: And Helen, I think you have to ask --

 

Q -- (inaudible) -- the law.

 

MR. MCCLELLAN: I think you have ask are we -- well, he's not -- are we a

nation at war.

 

Q That's not the question.

 

MR. MCCLELLAN: No, that is the issue here.

 

Q The question is, the point is, there are means for him to go to -- get

a warrant to spy on people.

 

MR. MCCLELLAN: Enemy surveillance is critical to waging and winning war.

It's one of the traditional tools of war.

 

Q But he says he doesn't have running room --

 

MR. MCCLELLAN: The attorney general outlined very clearly today how

previous administrations have used the same authority --

 

Q That doesn't make it legal.

 

MR. MCCLELLAN: -- and cited the same -- and cited the very same authority.

 

Q (Inaudible) -- they broke the law, that's too bad.

 

MR. MCCLELLAN: And we're going to continue doing everything we can --

 

Q You know what happened to Nixon when he broke the law.

 

MR. MCCLELLAN: -- within our power to protect the American people.

 

This is a very different circumstance, and you know that.

 

Q No, I don't.

 

 

 

--

" Now, by the way, any time you hear the United States government

talking about wiretap, it requires -- a wiretap requires a court

order. Nothing has changed, by the way. When we're talking about

chasing down terrorists, we're talking about getting a court order

before we do so "

-George W. Bush, April 20, 2004

 

 

Pay your taxes so the rich don't have to.

 

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