'It's Not Just About Iraq'

Here is the transcript of remarks by Bush and S?lyom, and the text of Bush's speech.

Absurd!

I was a bit taken aback Wednesday at Bush's harsh response to a reporter who noted that most Europeans consider the United States the biggest threat to global stability.

According to Mike Allen in Time magazine, I wasn't alone.

" 'That's absurd,' the President shot back, describing it as 'an absurd statement.' His top aides, sitting in the fourth row of the news conference at the ornate Hofburg Palace in Vienna, responded with visible shock, clearly hoping he would elaborate."

He did, two questions later, but still belligerently.

Another Secret Spying Program

Eric Lichtblau and James Risen write in the New York Times: "Under a secret Bush administration program initiated weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, counterterrorism officials have gained access to financial records from a vast international database and examined banking transactions involving thousands of Americans and others in the United States, according to government and industry officials. . . .

"The program is grounded in part on the president's emergency economic powers, [Stuart] Levey, [an under secretary at the Treasury Department] said, and multiple safeguards have been imposed to protect against any unwarranted searches of Americans' records. . . .

"The program, however, is a significant departure from typical practice in how the government acquires Americans' financial records. Treasury officials did not seek individual court-approved warrants or subpoenas to examine specific transactions, instead relying on broad administrative subpoenas for millions of records from the cooperative, known as Swift."

Barton Gellman, Paul Blustein and Dafna Linzer write in The Washington Post: "The White House complained last night that the disclosure could hurt anti-terrorism activities."

Bush on Gas: Hot Air

H. Josef Hebert writes for the Associated Press: " 'Boutique' gasoline blends to help states meet clean air rules are not a factor in higher prices as President Bush has suggested, says a draft of a study ordered by the White House. . . .

"Facing growing public outrage over soaring gasoline prices, Bush ordered the study on April 25 in a speech in which he attributed high gas prices in part to the growth of special fuels."

The War Over the War

Steve Holland and Thomas Ferraro write for Reuters that the White House's aggressive campaign to rally congressional Republicans behind the unpopular Iraq war includes daily updates.

Here's Thursday's: " 'Three things to remember about Iraq:

"--The president's strategy for Iraq is working.

"--The new sovereign government in Iraq is a new opportunity for progress.

"--There are dire consequences if we leave before Iraqis can defend themselves.' "

Are You Ready for Some Tee Ball?

This afternoon, Bush kicks off White House Tee Ball season on the South Lawn.

In today's game, the McGuire Air Force Base Little League Yankees from New Jersey will play the Dolcom Little League Indians of Naval Submarine Base New London in Connecticut.

Costa Rica is Ticked Off

The Associated Press reports: "Costa Rica wants its name erased from the list of countries supporting the invasion of Iraq. But the United States says that's not possible.

"The Costa Rican government initially supported the invasion, but public sentiment was never strong and polls show now that most Costa Ricans oppose the war. . . .

"While the U.S. government removed the Central American nation from the list of the so-called 'coalition of the willing' in 2004, it still appears in archive documents and on related Internet Web sites that haven't been updated."

See, for instance, on the White House Web site: Who are the current coalition members?

Froomkin on the Radio

I'll be on Washington Post Radio today shortly after 2 p.m. ET.