From: Monte Davis 

"Phil Payne"  wrote:

>"The Bush administration now argues those powers were inherently contained
>in the resolution adopted by Congress - but at the time, the administration
>clearly felt they weren't or it wouldn't have tried to insert the additional
>language," the South Dakota Democrat wrote.

"Q: If FISA didn't work, why didn't you seek a new statute that
allowed something like this legally?

"GONZALES: That question was asked earlier. We've had discussions with
members of Congress, certain members of Congress, about whether or not we
could get an amendment to FISA, and we were advised that that was not
likely to be -- that was not something we could likely get, certainly not
without jeopardizing the existence of the program, and therefore, killing
the program. And that -- and so a decision was made that because we felt
that the authorities were there, that we should continue moving forward
with this program."

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/12/20051219-1.html

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