The Wall Street Journal released a transcript today (Jan. 26) of a rare interview with Pres. Bush.  Along the way, the WSJ asked a question that many have been eager to hear the President answer:

WSJ: OK. Why not just — why didn’t you go back
to the FISA [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] court and get
approval, because they surely would have given you approval even after
the fact?

Mr. Bush: It’s a different — the FISA law was
written in 1978, and we require a different response to an enemy. And
what I said — here, let me just give you my management style. I talked
to people like General Hayden. I said: Can we do a better of job of
protecting the American people within the Constitution and guaranteeing
civil rights? Those were the parameters, because I want to make sure
what I do, I’ve got the legal authority to do. So you design the
program and look at all options. And this is the program they brought
back to me. I’m not going to describe it to you, nor should anybody
else, because all that does is tell the enemy how to adjust.

Now if the people don’t believe there’s an enemy
there, fine. But there is an enemy. Their leader [i.e.Osama bin Laden] announced just the
other day that [they’re] going to attack. And so to answer your
question, we had the legal scholars, we had our operators all look at
the best way to be able to deal with a 21st century problem — and that
is phone calls from outside the country to inside the country — not
within the country; it’s important for people — I think some are
beginning — I thought initially because this was within the country —
a known al Qaeda, or suspected al Qaeda calling in requires instant
reaction. And so with FISA being used, the ’78 law is relevant for some
activities to protect the American people. These people came up with a
different plan. And I’m sorry we’re talking about it.

End of interview.  (Our operators are standing by.)