Opponents Find Agreement in Bashing Bush

"The son and the father would deny anything," Stone continued, arguing that the current president "can't admit any error" and saying, "That's what amazes me about him -- constant denial, except for Sammy Sosa."

Open to Allies

In a move that might have attracted a lot more controversy a few years back, Bush announced Friday that seven nations in Europe and Asia will be added to the U.S. visa waiver program, which means that citizens will be able to visit the United States without a visa.

The waivers will apply to the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and South Korea, all of which already allow U.S. citizens to visit without getting a visa. The action adds those countries to 27 others that are already exempted from waivers, most of them in Western Europe.

Visa waivers have been a sore spot in relations between the United States and many allies, particularly in Eastern Europe, where some countries have supported U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan but are still waiting to be admitted to the waiver program.

During a ceremony in the Rose Garden, Bush said he has heard complaints about the issue "for years" and said it is "frustrating" for citizens of U.S. allies to wait in long lines for permission to visit family in the United States.

"These close friends of America told me that it was unfair that their people had to jump through bureaucratic hoops that other allies can walk around," Bush said. "I told them I agree with them."

But some lawmakers say they remain concerned that the visa waiver program does not offer enough protection against terrorists and other threatening travelers. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said in a statement Friday that the program is "exploited by dangerous persons" and that the expansion was "irresponsible and illegal" because the Department of Homeland Security does not have measures in place to ensure that visitors leave the country.

"This provides a major opportunity for individuals who may seek to exploit our system, or do us grievous harm through acts of terrorism," Feinstein said.

Bush argued that as required by a new visa waiver law passed by Congress, the seven new members of the program have agreed to share threat information, to require travelers to register before coming to the United States and to use tamper-proof passports.

Quote of the Week

"These measures are not intended to take over the free market but to preserve it."

-- President Bush, on the government's plan to buy equity stakes in private banks