In other news, President Bush made a rare visit to the headquarters of the National Security Agency at Forte Meade, Maryland Wednesday. The visit was part of his continued public relations offensive to defend the secret monitoring of U.S. citizens without court warrants.

• President Bush : “Officials here learn information about plotters and planners and people that would us harm. You know, I understand that there are some in America that say this can’t be true, there aren’t still people willing to attack. All I would ask them to do is listen to the words of Osama bin Laden and take him seriously. When he says he is going to hurt the American people again or try to he means it. I take it seriously and the people of NSA take it seriously and most of the American people take it seriously as well.”