Obama Says James Clapper 'Should Have Been More Careful' In How He Lied To Congress
from the ridiculous dept
Many of us are still quite disappointed that James Clapper has kept his job as Director of National Intelligence after flat out lying to Congress over whether or not the NSA spied on Americans. There have been increasing calls from within Congress to have Clapper investigated and possibly prosecuted for the felony of lying to Congress, but there appears to be no movement there at all. Not only does the Obama administration seem to want to protect one of their own, but it's also made it clear that something like that would make it look like Ed Snowden "won" and they can't allow that sort of thing.CNN's Jake Tapper finally got President Obama to "address" the issue in an interview, and the best that Obama could muster was that Clapper "should have been more careful" in how he lied to Congress:
“I think that Jim Clapper himself would acknowledge, and has acknowledged, that he should have been more careful about how he responded,” Obama told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “His concern was that he had a classified program that he couldn't talk about and he was in an open hearing in which he was asked, he was prompted to disclose a program, and so he felt that he was caught between a rock and a hard place.”I'm wondering if anyone else charged with a felony for lying to Congress will now be able to use that excuse: yes, yes, they should have been more careful in how they lied to Congress.
As for the "rock and a hard place" claim, that's also simply untrue. Clapper knew full well the question was coming and also knew full well that he could easily respond by saying a variety of things, such as "I can only fully answer that question in a closed hearing." Clapper knows he can do this because he's done it many times before. In fact, he did it just this week when asked another question by Senator Wyden about the NSA's activities. He specifically said that he was uncomfortable discussing such details in an open hearing but would be happy to discuss them during a closed session. And, in fact, Clapper had done similar things in previous sessions, as is clear from the correspondences between him and Wyden that pre-dated the hearing where he lied.
For example, take a look at a letter Clapper sent in 2011 to Senator Ron Wyden, in which he states: "the questions you pose on geolocational information are difficult to answer in an unclassified letter." He was able to do that in 2011 and no parade of horribles followed. It did not reveal any "sources and methods" of classified intelligence. He easily could have done the same thing in 2013 when asked.
There was no rock. There was no hard place. Clapper didn't need to "be more careful." He lied. Which is a felony. And the President is excusing it because he doesn't want Snowden to "win."
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Filed Under: barack obama, felony, james clapper, lying to congress, nsa, ron wyden, surveillance
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Obama == Lawless!
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What a desperate disappointment Obama has turned out to be
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Re: What a desperate disappointment Obama has turned out to be
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Re: What a desperate disappointment Obama has turned out to be
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It doesn't need to "look like", the fact is he has "won". We have the evidence, so now we actually *know* that every time they open their mouths they are lying, deceiving, and being duplicitous instead of just suspecting it.
The only reason they don't see that as a "win" is because they have all still managed to retain their jobs somehow.
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In this case, the picture the government is painting is Snowden as a traitor and NSA as virtuous and dilligent servants of the people. If Clapper was actually investigated for lying to congress, the president could face a problem from opposition* because his beautyful romantic picture would crack completely
*Not republicans or democrats. Real opposition is increasingly one not consisting of political parties. Opposition is a coalition of lobbying entities, whether media, direct person to person lobbying or narrative control through think tanks with their "research" and narratives.
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OMG OMG OMG LOOK AT THIS!
HSI/ICE doing "It's job"
Now we just need som federal LAW ENFORCEMENT to investigate and impeach the lying bastids! in Washington and Ft Meade!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vixVPE4LBAU
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'Lost' our freedoms, 'lost' our faith that our elected officials are competent and at all trustworthy, and 'lost' hope that any of it is going to change any time soon.
Can we screw everything up and somehow all keep our jobs? 'Yes we can!'
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Again, the only reason to lie, is because he KNEW it was an illegal program. An illegal program that would have nearly every American citizen upset if they were to be informed about it. These people use secret courts to get the rulings they desire, then call it legal. Examples need to be set so that people in these same positions in the future will think "I could end up in prison for the next 20 years, so maybe I should err on the side of protecting our constitutional rights", and that's the reason why this man needs to go to jail.
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Clapped Llied and Broke the Law
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Re: Clapped Llied and Broke the Law
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Clapped Llied and Broke the Law
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Crime is crime.
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Now you are just making stuff up
I know, it's your "opinion", but perhaps you could phrase it a bit better and stop trying to write link bait headlines to please Google.
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Re:
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Nice headline, Mike.
Comedy gold.
Well, except the part where we're making fun of how these highly-ranked government officials live in a world devoid of consequences for their actions. But it's still a damn funny headline.
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stand by ur man
when pardoned spies deride Congress!
top secrets obscure their growing cloak!
spying over-reach! Claptrap meta mispoke!
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On Political Corruption & The Preservation of Liberty
people do not have the backbone or moral
courage to hold any U.S. agency or U.S.
politician accountable.Then Americans get
exactly what they deserve. America is about
pro-active democracy that extends far beyond
just voting, as it was intended since it's beginning.
If we are not pro-active, and demand accountability from
the President on down we don't deserve to be called Americans. We now have a political federal system so deeply
corrupt as a consequence.
"What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?" - Thomas Jefferson
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On Political Corruption & The Preservation of Liberty
"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." - Thomas Jefferson
I hope it's not too late!
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