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To: russwinter who wrote (53279)	2/9/2006 4:22:27 PM
From: shades	Respond to of 110194

J Bush Wins Some Public Support For NSA Spy Program -Poll . WASHINGTON (AP)--President George W. Bush's monthlong campaign to convince the public that the government's eavesdropping program is an essential anti-terrorism tool appears to have made an impact, a new AP-Ipsos poll suggests. Some 48% now support the administration's program to monitor - without a court warrant - some U.S.-based calls with suspected links to terrorists. That's up from 42% last month. Half now say the administration should have to get a warrant, down from 56% one month ago. Bush has been particularly successful at making his case for the National Security Agency's controversial monitoring among men and core segments of his base. After weeks of insisting that divulging details would harm the program, the White House relented Wednesday and briefed House intelligence committee lawmakers. Thursday, the Senate learned more about the NSA program. Press secretary Scott McClellan said the White House will listen to ideas that lawmakers have about legislation, but Bush has indicated that he would resist any move that would compromise the program. "There is a high bar to overcome on such ideas," McClellan said. The decision to give Congress more information came as Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, a Republican, announced he was drafting legislation that would require the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to review the constitutionality of the administration's monitoring of terror-related international communications when one party to the call is in the U.S. It also came as Republican Rep. Heather Wilson of New Mexico, chairwoman of a House intelligence subcommittee that oversees the NSA, broke with the Bush administration and called for a full review of the NSA's program, along with legislative action to update the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. She and others also wanted the full House Intelligence Committee to be briefed on the program's operational details. Although the White House initially promised only information about the legal rationale for surveillance, administration officials broadened the scope Wednesday to include more sensitive details about how the program works. Questions from Congress about the monitoring abound. Once publicly mum on the subject, House Republican Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner sent a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales with 51 questions he wants answered by early March. As part of his upcoming bill, Specter said he wants the FISA court to review the program to weigh the nature of the terrorist threat, the program's scope, the number of people being monitored and how the information is being handled. Since the monitoring program's existence was first revealed in a newspaper report more than 50 days, senior administration officials have argued that Bush and Cheney were within the law when they chose to brief only the eight lawmakers who lead the House and Senate and their intelligence committees. Several lawmakers want to hearings to review whether the FISA law should be updated. (END) Dow Jones Newswires

To: russwinter who wrote (53279)	2/9/2006 4:23:45 PM
From: shades	Respond to of 110194

DJ US 30-YEAR BONDS: 4.530%; 51.17% At High -2- Of the competitive bids accepted, 5% were tendered at or below the rate of 4.475%. The Federal Reserve purchased $841.27 million in bonds for its own account in Thursday's auction. Bonds awarded to the Federal Reserve are in addition to the public offering amount. The high rate was down from 5.520% at the previous 30-year bond auction on Aug. 9, 2001. The issue auctioned Thursday is dated Feb. 15, 2006, and matures on Feb. 15, 2036. The CUSIP number on the 30-year bonds is 912828FT0. Treasury said the high rate on the 30-year bond in Thursday's auction was the lowest ever for this maturity of U.S. government debt. (END) Dow Jones Newswires Les H posted over in euroland how they bought up all the bonds over there for pensions liability - that there was way more demand than government paper by organizations with pension obligations - is the same not true here?

To: russwinter who wrote (53279)	2/9/2006 4:26:09 PM
From: shades	Respond to of 110194

DJ US 30-YEAR BONDS: 4.530%; 51.17% At High WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--The U.S. Treasury awarded $14.00 billion in 30-year bonds at Thursday's auction at a high rate of 4.530%. The Treasury received bids totaling $28.72 billion and accepted $14.00 billion, including $38.78 million of noncompetitive tenders, up from $32.34 million in noncompetitive tenders accepted at the previous 30-year bond auction on Aug. 9, 2001. The Treasury awarded $100.00 million of the bonds to foreign and international monetary authority accounts on a noncompetitive bidding basis. The bid-to-cover ratio, an indication of demand, was 2.05, Treasury said. Tenders submitted at the high yield were allotted 51.17%. The dollar price was 99.510492 and the coupon rate was set at 4.500%, or 4 1/2%. The median rate was 4.490%; that is, 50% of the amount of accepted competitive bids were tendered at or below that rate. (MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires