Former Bush assistant AG: Government is understating the threat

it's not fearmongering if the threat is real.

[rquoter]The federal executive branch's power should be increased to reduce national security threats, a former Bush administration official told a full auditorium at Boston College last night.

Jack Goldsmith, former U.S. assistant attorney general and now a Harvard Law School professor, said the president should have more power to prevent future terrorist attacks, but acknowledged that the authority should have some checks.

"We need to come up with more aggressive mechanisms and give the president more power, but don't make it an indefinite power," Goldsmith said.

He said the government has increased executive power based on the "twin fears" -- the fear of another terrorist attack and the fear of law.

"These fears play off of one another," he said. "It's not only the fear of attack, it's the fear of not believing you have enough information on how to stop the attack."

Goldsmith called the Bush administration's expansion of executive power in the name of combating terrorism "justified and necessary," citing a responsibility for American people's safety and a fear generated by daily terrorist threats.

"Many believe government is exaggerating the threat of terror, but having worked in Justice Department, the government is understating the threat," he said.

With the 2008 presidential campaign in full swing Goldsmith said Americans should not expect significant changes to occur during George W. Bush's administration. Goldsmith said the next president, no matter who wins the November election, will not radically change in the pace of the war on terror.

"The next president won't pull back completely from the Bush administration," said Goldsmith. "Surveillance will only grow. We shouldn't expect to see a less aggressive policy."

He addressed the possibility of an end to the war on terror and said the end would bring mixed results.

"Victory is self-defeat because it will only allow us to become less vigilant," he said.

However, some audience members said they disagreed with the idea that the way to improve national security would be to increase the president's influence.

"The president doesn't so much need more power, but needs to work together with Congress," BC sophomore Michael Coutu said.

BC sophomore Kevin Cummings said he "trusts insiders like Goldsmith because he was once a part of the administration. He must know some information that we don't know."[/rquoter]

 

exactly, and thank you for falling into my little trap.

a critic of the Bush admin's record on civil rights, a new liberal hero and icon, and probable Omama supporter, says the admin is understating the threat- hmmm, what could that possibly mean?