The Benefit of Bush's Hand-Picked Audiences

President Bush participated in a "town-hall" meeting in Louisville, Kentucky yesterday and many of the questions left little doubt that there was nobody like you and me in that crowd. Here's a verbatim question from an attendee, who would probably stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Bush as he feeds our Constitution into the shredder.

"There's people in our states and there's people that are in D.C. that will take and jeopardize what I feel is our national security and our troops' safety today for partisan advantage, for political advantage. They're starting an investigation in the Justice Department about the -- looking into this, where these leaks came from. Is the Justice Department going to follow through and, if necessary, go after the media to take and get the answers and to shut these leaks up?"

So the problem in this genius's mind isn't Bush ignoring a legal procedure observed by every other president – getting court orders to spy on American citizens – and that it's just been tossed aside as a petty annoyance. It's that the press picked up on it and had the gall to actually report it to the people.

"I have the right as the Commander-in-Chief in a time of war to take action necessary to protect the American people," said Bush as part of his response.

He's the King and we all damn well better remember it, right?