The President of the United States, George W. Bush, lied to Americans again. I know you're getting tired of me saying that and you probably think I'm making it up. But honestly, George W. Bush is the one making things up. In this case, though, I'll let you read his own words, verifiable at the White House website. The bolding is mine. Compare and contrast:

Secondly, there are such things as roving wiretaps. Now, by the way, any time you hear the United States government talking about wiretap, it requires -- a wiretap requires a court order. Nothing has changed, by the way. When we're talking about chasing down terrorists, we're talking about getting a court order before we do so. It's important for our fellow citizens to understand, when you think Patriot Act, constitutional guarantees are in place when it comes to doing what is necessary to protect our homeland, because we value the Constitution.

The above excerpted from remarks by the President in a Conversation on the USA Patriot Act
Kleinshans Music Hall
Buffalo, New York
April 20, 2004

In the weeks following the terrorist attacks on our nation, I authorized the National Security Agency, consistent with U.S. law and the Constitution, to intercept the international communications of people with known links to al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations. Before we intercept these communications, the government must have information that establishes a clear link to these terrorist networks.

This is a highly classified program that is crucial to our national security. Its purpose is to detect and prevent terrorist attacks against the United States, our friends and allies. Yesterday the existence of this secret program was revealed in media reports, after being improperly provided to news organizations. As a result, our enemies have learned information they should not have, and the unauthorized disclosure of this effort damages our national security and puts our citizens at risk. Revealing classified information is illegal, alerts our enemies, and endangers our country.

The above excerpted from the President's Radio Address
The Roosevelt Room
December 17, 2005

What the president does not come right out and say, although it is what he authorized, is that his authorization exempted the NSA from getting a court order. He also lied when he said his action is consistent with U.S. law and the Constitution, which expressly forbids unreasonable search and seizure and requires a court order. It is also telling that he claims that revealing that he has broken the law and violated the Constitution is a threat to the country. In actuality, a president who considers himself above the law and the Constitution is the real threat to our nation.