As part of the White House's continuing effort to sell Americans on their controversial domestic spying program, President Bush is scheduled to meet and address agents at National Security Agency headquarters in Maryland on Wednesday.
The address is designed to boost morale at the NSA just before Senate hearings are scheduled to take place. Senators from both parties are expected to be critical of the program once the hearings begin.
This is the third speech given this week in an attempt to deflect criticism of the domestic spying program. The program includes warrantless wiretaps of the telephone conversations of American citizens. Monday in Manhattan, Kansas, Bush tired to defend the legality of the program. Yesterday, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales insisted that Congress had approved the domestic spying program in a generally worded resolution passed shortly after the September 11 attacks.
Senator John McCain (R-Ari) has indicated he is eager to learn more about the program.
In an appearance on NBC's 'Today' show, McCain was asked if the secret spying was legal. 'I don't know. I want to be perfectly clear. I don't know the answer. That's why I welcome the hearings,' McCain replied.
