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| http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/...5606465,00.html
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush's campaign to convince Americans that the
government's eavesdropping program is essential to the war on terrorism has made
an impact: Last month people disapproved, 56 percent to 42 percent. Now it's
basically 50-50.
Bush has been particularly successful at making his case to core supporters,
including Republicans, white evangelicals and suburban men. Support in each
category grew more than 10 percentage points in the last month.
The AP-Ipsos poll findings came as the White House relented and provided some
new details to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees about the program.
At Bush's direction, the National Security Agency has been monitoring
communications between people overseas and in the U.S. when links to terrorism
are suspected.
However, Senate Democrats left their three-hour session Thursday frustrated
about the level of information they received from Attorney General Alberto
Gonzales and Gen. Michael Hayden, the nation's No. 2 intelligence official.
``Where we really wanted hard information that was important to us - to give us
the size of the scope and the reach and the depth - they were not forthcoming,''
said West Virginia Sen. Jay Rockefeller, the intelligence panel's top Democrat.
``And what that did was take good people who were willing ... to have an open
mind about all of this, and push them the other direction.''
The irritation stood in contrast to some Democrats on the House Intelligence
Committee. That panel's top Democrat, Rep. Jane Harman of California, left a
separate briefing on Wednesday cautiously saying she saw a thaw after weeks of
White House insistence that it would not brief the congressional committees on
the program's details. Under the initial plan, the briefing was only supposed to
cover legal issues, but members said they also got some operational information.
It was unclear why the White House suddenly was willing to share more
information with lawmakers. When asked what changed, Senate Intelligence
Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., said: ``Meaningful dialogue.'' He would
not elaborate.
The debate over the program has turned intensely political in recent days. A
growing cadre of Republicans has joined Democrats in raising fundamental
questions about the program. Although the White House has argued the president
has all the authority he needs to order the surveillance, calls for legislation
have grown.
As part of an upcoming bill, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter,
R-Pa., said he wants the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to
review the program and determine if it is constitutional.
Using a different approach, Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, said changes in U.S. law
are necessary to give the White House the statutory authority it needs to
conduct the monitoring - and end the controversy.
Bush's spokesman Scott McClellan said the White House will listen to lawmakers'
ideas on legislation, but the president has indicated he would resist any move
that would compromise the program. ``There is a high bar to overcome on such
ideas,'' McClellan said.
Some lawmakers see Roberts as key to any changes. He said the legislative work
should be the jurisdiction of his committee, if ``there is any necessity'' for a
bill. He was noncommittal about whether there would be future briefings on the
program, saying, ``We'll see.''
The intelligence committee's Democrats and at least two Republicans have called
for inquiries into the program. Thursday's session ``doesn't excuse the need for
genuine accountability,'' said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a committee member.
Two senators are looking outside the Bush administration for information. Sens.
Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Russ Feingold, D-Wis., wrote a letter Thursday to
the major telecommunications companies - AT&T Inc., Sprint Nextel Corp. and
Verizon Communications Inc. - asking if they have cooperated with the government
monitoring.
As congressional debate continues, public support for the program has grown with
the White House's monthlong campaign of speeches and TV appearances to make its
case that the monitoring is necessary. According to the AP-Ipsos poll, some 48
percent of Americans now support the administration's program. That's up from 42
percent last month.
Half now say the administration should have to get a warrant to conduct
eavesdropping, down from 56 percent one month ago. Support for the program grew
by 9 percentage points among men, but it dropped 8 points - to 30 percent - in
the Northeast.
Some noteworthy trends from Bush's political base:
-Fifty-eight percent of suburban men support the program, up 13 percentage
points.
-Fifty-six percent of Southerners support the program, up 12 points.
-Republican support for the program jumped 14 points to 82 percent. Independent
support is up 17 points, to 53 percent.
-White evangelical support grew by 11 points, to 71 percent.
Alan
"Nemesis, winged one that tips the scales of life,
dark-eyed goddess, daughter of Justice,
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always moving but leaving no trace, the fortune of man turns.
Unseen, you come at once to defeat arrogance;
by your hand you gauge the span of life, and, frowning,
you scrutinize the thoughts of men, you always hold the balance.
Be merciful, hallowed judge, winged Nemesis, life's force.
We honor you, Nemesis, immortal goddess,
victory incarnate with wings unfurled, faultless,
sharing the throne of Justice; you resent human vanity
and banish men to Tartarus below"
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