Whitehouse criticizes intelligence debate

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said Saturday U.S. President George Bush's fight for foreign surveillance laws was completely unnecessary.

The Senate Intelligence and Judiciary Committee member used much of the weekly Democratic Radio Address to ask the Republican president to work with congressional Democrats toward a more constructive intelligence-gathering plan, a transcript provided by the Democratic National Committee showed.

Bush has called for the reauthorization by Congress of a bill allowing U.S. intelligence officials to use wiretaps without court warrants to help preserve national security.

But Whitehouse said such efforts by the president were unnecessary and asked that Bush constructively work with Congress to create an improved Protect America Act in order to best protect U.S. citizens.

"We know this president dislikes compromise, but this time he has taken his stubborn approach too far. He is whipping up false fears and creating artificial confrontation. As the president himself said in the Rose Garden, 'there is really no excuse for letting this critical legislation expire.' So let's get it done," Whitehouse said.