[UPDATE SUNDAY:] i am unable to download the cnn video will someone download and transcribe the "inherent power as president" quote? the key word is "inherent", although bush says "inherit". we need to document white house alteration of transcripts to conveniently delete damaging statements.]
[UPDATE 2: cnn is showing more excerpts of feingold's comments from this morning - it is 9:15 pm est - so turn in and watch - some of the comments are extraordinary!]
this is the quote just made by russ feingold on cnn live after the bush "radio/tv" address!
feingold says what bush is doing is illegal - more to follow!
during the tv live coverage of what was to be bush's radio address, bush took on the nation regarding to the nsa spying incidents.
he was belligerant, he was hostile and he was blunt. bush stated that he was doing what it took to "keep the american people safe" and he intended to "keep on doing it".
bush also stated that the reporting of the illegal wiretaps and intercepts by the media was "illegal" and had harmed national security. he said [astonshingly] that the he continued to link 9/11 with the current war - and stated, furthermore that the patriot act and congress gave him [permission] to go to war and implied he still had that permission according to the patriot act and war on terror.
i pray that this transcript is available soon - BUT that was not the real eye-opener!
cnn had russ feingold on following the speech and his response was incredible. i will paraphrase as much as i can remember - i was too shocked to retain it all!
he said flat out that bush is acting like he is king - and he is not - that is not our system of governmet he also said flatly that what bush is doing is illegal.
he continued to rip into the activities of this administration with such ferocity that i will immediately cast an absentee ballot for this man for ANY office he chooses to seek!
russ feingold has finally given voice to the people of this country!
PLEASE, if you heard this, add more of what feingold has said - i personally am still shaking! this is the watershed moment!
[UPDATE: after screwing up and deleting part of diary and restoring it... duh!]
here are the links to the bush speech and the media reports of feingold's response. when i find a complete transcript of feingold, i'll post it, too.
radio speech article
CNN quotes from this morning - incomplete
msnbc article
associated press article
bloomberg article
more links as they become available...