Bush Is Withholding War Information, Daschle Says

WASHINGTON -- President Bush has not been forthcoming about progress in the war on terrorism or about a "secret government" operating since Sept. 11, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) said Sunday.

As a result, lawmakers are finding it difficult to carry out their constitutional duties of approving money for the war and providing oversight of the executive branch, he said.

"None of us knew about the secret government," Daschle said on "Fox News Sunday," referring to the cadre of senior bureaucrats sent on a rotating basis to two undisclosed locations to ensure continuity of government if a terrorist strike hits Washington.

That, he said, is a "profound illustration of the chasm that exists sometimes with information. . . . It's an illustration of the need for a better communications process."