Reply #9: I saw it...

[Moosepoop]

and I was amazed at Miles! He wasn't his usual water-carrying self -- he was downright snarky with her and her "answers"!

About the LA mayor being notified, she said that someone on his staff had been notified. Miles stressed that the mayor himself was not notified by the NSA. Fran then said that proper channels had been utilized, the NSA had notified the local police department, and someone there had notified someone on the mayor's staff, and if the message wasn't delivered to the mayor, it wasn't NSA's fault. !!!

Miles asked her about the timing of the "foiled shoebomber plot" being made public -- was it to divert attention from troubles the administration is facing, or was it to highlight the effectiveness of the wiretapping program and/or the Patriot Act? Fran was offended at the question, and said she "couldn't believe" that he had just implied any of those things. She said the purpose of the release was to highlight the effectiveness of the "global effort" to combat terrorism, as there were four countries involved in foiling the plot.

Miles asked if the wiretapping or the Patriot Act had anything to do with the foiled plot, and she gave a long-winded account of how wonderful and necessary a tool the Patriot Act is, without actually answering the question. Miles then asked his final question -- if the wiretapping or the Patriot Act were to be credited with the plot being foiled... would you tell us that?? She answered with an emphatic "NO!" and went on about not telling the terrorists what we're doing to thwart them. Miles chuckled at her and ended the interview.

His tone throughout the whole thing was incredulous and mocking of her and the WH, much more so than I can convey in typing it.