Presidential press secretary Tony Snow today defended his boss' level of commitment to border security, saying President Bush is "cognizant" of the fact terrorists may be entering the U.S. illegally.

"The president has made his views on border security well-known," WND told the spokesman, "and my question: Would the president make border security a higher priority if he were convinced it was being used as an entry point by terrorists like those who are part of Hezbollah and al-Qaida?"

Responded Snow: "Think of it this way. The president committed as much money to the borders already as the House of Representatives was planning on doing in five years. So, he was serious before – he's perfectly cognizant of the possibility there may be terrorists crossing over. We have intelligence assets deployed in the area, and so he's not going to be anymore concerned because he's already very concerned about it."

Yesterday, Snow indicated the president "is already putting National Guardsmen in positions where they can relieve the Border Patrol" – part of a $1.9 billion supplemental appropriation.

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