Democrats and Libera media outlets are flumoxed as to how Bush continues to roll the Democrats on National Security. Take the NY Times as one example:/p>

Until last weekend, President Bush had repeatedly fallen short in seven months of battles with a Democratic-led Congress that would not give him what he wanted on immigration or education, health care or energy policy.

But the Congressional vote that authorized eavesdropping without warrants on international communications, including those involving Americans within the United States, has shown that there is at least one arena in which Mr. Bush can still hold the line: terrorism. (See, “Democrats, Republican accusations of being weak on …”)

For the NY Times this is especially painful. Their Pulitzer winning stories that exposed our NSA surveillance of known terrorists overseas, their movement of terrorist funds, and the movement of terrorist prisoners all exposed America’s defenses and put lives at risk. The fact is Americans WANT our government listening in on al-Qaeda’s planning, and if they contact someone here in the US they want that person looked into. And that is ALL the NSA surveillance program does, it allows NSA leads that trace back to the US to be passed to the FBI for investigation and possible FISA warrant if concerns arise. That is something new since 9-11, we actually trace down leads here in the US. We did not do that prior to 9-11 and 3,000 people died because of it.

Americans understand we have to trace the money to find those cells who can be a danger. Without serious financing attacks cannot be pulled off. And we know the nature of the people we are at war with: they kill people in markets, slice their heads off on TV for PR gains and kill hundred daily to make a political statement. When we catch them we move them and interrogate them. No one has proof of torture, and few are willing to defend the animals who behave as al-Qaeda does.

But all that aside Americans do know one thing about George Bush. He has kept us safe coming in 6 years now. In the post 9-11 days the idea we could defend ourselves from another 9-11 attack seemed hopeless. Our society was too open, our movements so free, our personal independence a challenge. And yet very few can say their personal lives have had to change due to the protections put in place. We know the security lines at the airport are there to protect us from another 9-11, so we suffer them as the new way of life. Bush has kept us safe, and that is why he will always win the national security debate. He wants to win, not surrender.