Thank you, Mr. President!

President Bush just gave a great press conference where he set the record straight with the press, called-out Senators on their destruction of the Patriot Act, and fired a shot at Hillary for her waffling on the war. Here are some of the highlights:

HAUGHTY REPORTER NUMBER 1: So many questions, so little time.
BUSH: Well, keep your questions short, then.

HAUGHTY REPORTER NUMBER 2: I wonder if you can tell us today, sir, what, if any, limits you believe there are or should be on the powers of a president during wartime. And if the global war on terror is going to last for decades, as has been forecast, does that mean that we're going to see, therefore, a more or less permanent expansion of the unchecked power of the executive in American society?
BUSH: First of all, I disagree with your assertion of unchecked power.
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
BUSH: Hold on for a second, please.
There is the check of people being sworn to uphold the law, for starters. There is oversight. We're talking to Congress all the time. And on this program, to suggest there's unchecked power is not listening to what I'm telling you. I'm telling you, we have briefed the United States Congress on this program a dozen times...To say "unchecked power" basically is ascribing some kind of dictatorial position to the president, which I strongly reject.

QUESTION: Mr. President, you said last night that there are only two options in Iraq, withdrawal or victory. And you asked Americans, especially opponents of the war, to reject partisan politics.
Do you really expect congressional Democrats to end partisan warfare and embrace your war strategy? And what can you do about that, to make that happen?
BUSH: Actually, I said that victory in Iraq is much larger than a person, a president or a political party.
And I've had some good visits with Senate and House Democrats about the way forward... Let me say something about the Patriot Act, if you don't mind.
It is inexcusable for the United States Senate to let this Patriot Act expire.
You know, there's an interesting debate in Washington -- and you're part of it -- that says: Well, they didn't connect the dots prior to September the 11th -- "they" being not only my administration but previous administrations.
I understand that debate. I'm not being critical of you bringing this issue up and discussing it. But there was also -- you might remember, if you take a step back, people were pretty adamant about hauling people up to testify and wondering how come the dots weren't connected.
Well, the Patriot Act helps us connect the dots. And now the United States Senate is going to let this bill expire -- not the Senate; a minority of senators.
And I want senators from New York or Los Angeles or Las Vegas to go home and explain why these cities are safer.
It is inexcusable to say, on the one hand, connect the dots and not give us a chance to do so.

QUESTION: Democrats have said that you have acted beyond the law and that you've even broken the law. There are some Republicans who are calling for congressional hearings and even an independent investigation.
Are you willing to go before members of Congress and explain this eavesdropping program? And do you support an independent investigation?
BUSH: We have been talking to members of the United States Congress. We have met with them over 12 times... This is a war. Of course we consult with Congress and have been consulting with Congress. And we'll continue to do so.