Bush says domestic spying is necessary. He’s right.

President Bush strongly defended his domestic spying program on Sunday, calling it legal as well as vital to thwarting terrorist attacks, and contended the leak making it public had caused “great harm to the nation.”

“This is a limited program designed to prevent attacks on the United States of America and, I repeat, limited,” Bush told reporters after visiting wounded troops at Brooke Army Medical Center. “I think most Americans understand the need to find out what the enemy’s thinking.”

This really is a trust issue. If you believe Bush and his administration, then you’ll agree that this type of surveillance is not only right, it’s completely necessary in order to preempt the next terrorist attack. If you don’t trust Bush, you believe he’ll be irresponsible with the data, or worse, he’ll go after political enemies, ala Nixon. Guess where the media is on this story? You guessed it – they think they’re witnessing Nixon II, and with their Woodward envy, they are clinging onto this story in the hopes that one of them will be able to pick the next Robert Redford to play their character on the big screen. Pathetic isn’t it?

My hope is that Bush won’t waiver on this. His powers and the presidential powers of future leaders lie in the balance.