Bellicose and belligerent: George Bush came on strong in a hastily called press conference this morning that was aimed not so much at justifying the secret wiretaps as at critics of the practice. Sounding more imperial than ever, Bush basically said that since he’s the president, he can damned well do what he wants and to hell with anybody who says otherwise (the traitors!). Oh yeah, and the only justification he needs? Trusty old 9/11, the admin’s mantra.

I also pledged to the American people to do everything within my power to prevent this [9/11] from happening again.

Bush obviously will also do everything outside his power to prevent another terrorist attack too, like ride roughshod over personal liberties. In his opening statement he claimed the Consitution gives him this power:

As president and commander in chief, I have the constitutional responsibility and the constitutional authority to protect our country. Article 2 of the Constitution gives me that responsibility and the authority necessary to fulfill it.

I think he means the U.S. Constitution, but for the life of me I couldn’t find the carte blanche he referred to. Here’s what I think might be the pertinent excerpt from Article II, Section 2:

The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.

I’m sorry, I seem to have missed the wiretapping provision inserted by James Madison into the original document.

Throughout the ensuing Q&A, Bush staunchly stuck by the notion that the gubmint is justified in crapping all over the Bill of Rights because it is fighting terrorists (who I thought were in Iraq, which is why we’re fighting there … right?). And then he condemned the “person” who reported that the wiretapping was going on:

“My personal opinion is, it was a shameful act for someone to disclose this very important program in a time of war,” Bush said. “The fact that we’re discussing this program is helping the enemy.”

Psst, hey Mohammed, the Americans might be tapping your phone, so use the secret al Qaida ig-pay atin-lay on the one-phay.

The administration is thoroughly backed into a corner now. They cannot admit that wiretapping without a court order is illegal (skip the moral grounds) because to do so would get them in a lot of trouble (can you spell impeachment?). Oh, and get used to hearing 9/11 invoked repeatedly to justify this and any other outrage the Bushies want to perpetrate.