Here's what I thought you'd like to hear about today:

1. General Hayden Goes to the Hill - a prelude to the confirmation hearings
2. "President" Gore on Saturday Night Live - It was funny

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General Hayden Goes to the Hill

Even before President Bush announced he was nominating General Michael Hayden to be the next Director of the CIA, there were howls of protest from Democrats and even some Republicans. They said that we couldn't have a military man in charge of our civilian spy agency. Others said that someone tainted with the NSA's "Domestic Spying" program - as the New York Times calls the interception of phone calls between someone outside the U.S. and a U.S. person - can't be put in charge of the Leakers of Langley. Over time, conservatives have realized that the nomination of Hayden was a stroke of genius. What better way to show the country how effectively the Bush administration is defending the nation, than to have Charles Schummer on national TV, attacking the man responsible for what is clearly the one program that best protects us from terrorism? I say, bring it on, Brownie.

Hayden spoke at the National Press Club in January of this year, right after the leak of the existence of the program was made by the New York Times. I played a clip of that session in a previous Wizbang Podcast. Today I'm going to play longer excerpts from a few sections of the talk. In the speech, Hayden described why the program was created, why it is legal, and why it is so vital to our security. It's important now to listen to what Hayden had to say then, because it is a prelude to what his confirmation hearings to head the CIA are going to be like. There is one section of his speech, during the question and answer period, when a tin-foil-hat-wearing gentleman wants to know if Bush is listening to him, since he is, to quote him,

a participant in a group called, "The World Can't Wait: Drive Out the Bush Regime.

Can you imagine how the Democratic senators are going to look if they take the talking points from these moonbats and try to block Hayden's confirmation to head the CIA? Once again, bring it on Brownie!

Let's start with Hayden's introduction. Thanks to C-SPAN for the video.

Play clip.

Later on, Hayden explains that the program has been examined by lawyers in several different branches of government, and all agree that it follows the law.

Play clip.

In this next clip, Hayden explains what the program is not. This refutes the so-called drift net keyword search idea, and the conventional media's "Domestic Spying" canard.

Play clip.

Later, he answers a question about why the 72 hour emergency invocation of FISA would not work with the kind of "hot pursuit" activity in the NSA wiretap program.

The last clip is a question and answer between the tin-foil-hat guy and Hayden. I can only hope that Chuck Schummer takes the bait and gets his talking points at the confirmation hearing from Travis Morales, a member of the World Can't Wait, a lunatic fringe group advocating the removal of the Bush administration, and also a member of the Revolutionary Communist Party, San Francisco branch. Someone find a rock this guy can crawl under please.

Play clip.

"President" Gore on Saturday Night Live

I like a good comedy routine, even if it is at the partial expense of those I admire. Al Gore had the good nature to read a speech as if he had been elected in 2000, and described all the good and bad things that had happened since. Some on the right are offended and don't like it, but I thought it was funny. Listen and judge for yourself. Thanks to Expose the Left for the video.

Play clip.