NSA surveillance: anger mounts in Congress at 'spying on Americans'

The Guardian UK ^ | June 12, 2013 | Dan Roberts and Spencer Ackerman in Washington and Alan Travis in London

[gethimoutofthehouse]

Anger was mounting in Congress on Tuesday night as politicians, briefed for the first time after revelations about the government's surveillance dragnet, vowed to rein in a system that one said amounted to "spying on Americans".

Intelligence chiefs and FBI officials had hoped that the closed-door briefing with a full meeting of the House of Representatives would help reassure members about the widespread collection of US phone records revealed by the Guardian.

But senior figures from both parties emerged from the meeting alarmed at the extent of a surveillance program that many claimed never to have heard of until whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked a series of top-secret documents.

[LibFreeUSA]

"I am here to reveal criminality"
Edward Snowden, June 12 - SouthChine Morning Post

What say you, Sen. Feinstein?

[upcountryhorseman]

Isn’t this a gross violation of the Fourth Amendment?

[UCANSEE2]

[But senior figures from both parties emerged from the meeting alarmed at the extent of a surveillance program that many claimed never to have heard of until whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked a series of top-secret documents.]

Because..... a $40 BILLION data center in UTAH gets built without their knowledge or voting to authorize the funding to pay for it ?

[Iron Munro]

They’re so cute when they try to pretend to be angry at something they support. They’re so much like their daddy Obama.

Their public indignation will evaporate as soon as the Obama administration assures them that their individual communications are secure from all monitoring and tracking.

[wiggen]

Yet we have a Boehner calling Snowden a traitor.

[manc]

after the last couple of days on here then it’s scary to see a couple , thankfully just a couple who has no problem with spying on us all and would rather attack the guy who told the world how the obama Govt is breaking the law and the constitution and then I was asked off one if I love obama while they defend spying, you can’t even make any of this up anymore and how stupid the country has become

[Drawn7979]

we're a melting pot... some americans are not that american...

[manc]

Seen Greta lately and she is on fire ,her time slot needs to take over Hannity and what is great is that she knows the law and can put the likes of Graham on his back

[manc]

thank you, I’m sick of seeing a couple of freepers keep saying this is nothing because the NSA has been doing it for years.

[manc]

and judge Roberts

[cripplecreek]

Its kinda funny how desperate our government is to get this dangerous “spy” yet want him extradited for unlawful use of a computer.

If they want to extradite him for treason then they need to man up and extradite him for treason but I suspect they can’t.

[RummyChick]

“There was a letter that we were supposed to have received in 2011 but I can’t find it and most of my friends in Congress did not receive this either,” said New Jersey Democrat Bill Pascrell, who claimed the widespread collection of phone data amounted to “spying on Americans … This is one of the first briefings I have been to where I actually learned something.””

interesting

[PghBaldy]

I wonder what the point. Both the Bush & Obama Regimes lied to get what they wanted in wiretaps, or overstepped their bounds, or just did what they wanted anyway. When everything is secret, including the supposed checks and balances, it is near impossible to trust anyone in this regard.

[grania]

If he (Graham) were a man...

And not a total idiot. He, or anyone else whose irrational votes come to mind, should just own up to anything at all. Then say they're sorry for what they did but they're owning up and casting votes that might save the US, they won't be intimidated. I think at this point we'd forgive ANYTHING whatever the feds have on them.

But I will not forgive casting a vote against the nation to save oneself from personal embarrassment.

[Student0165]

*snicker*

They’re so cute when they try to pretend to be angry at something they support. They’re so much like their daddy Obama.

---

Exactly. My first thought upon reading the headline was, “Faux anger and crocodile tears.” Nope, not buying it.

[Billthedrill]

Well, thank God and the Constitution that we have freedom of the press in this country to bring this sort of thing into the light. What a pity “this country” no longer means “America”.

[manc]

exactly

he;s a traitor , ok what has he stolen,

er I don’t know

ok what has he done to hurt our safety ?

er I don’t know.

OK why is he a traitor then?

Er he gave ur secrets away

what secrets

I don’t know

That is how stupid many have become in the country today, they hear a talking head, and then they repeat the talking point B/S points.

Heard today again off Guilliani that he;s a high school drop out, , which is another Alinsky tactic, but so is Richard Branson of Virgin airways, so are other billionaires , plus I;ve met many ids who take their GED because they want out of school, they hate school, they want to go to college or get a job earlier and so that he;s a school drop out sums up how pathetic the stupid party is

[manc]

but they want to now give millions of illegals a reward and yet again our voices are not heard

[manc]

what we have here by using a curt in their talking points is a cop out It's a secret program run by the obama Govt. who then goes to a secret court who has secret judges who was appointed by who? who then hears the evidence from only the obama Govt. Are you kidding me that this is legal? The whole court is a cop out the spying is illegal and charges should be brought forward not just to Holder, IRS etc but also to those in power who ordered this including Bush if need be enough is enough with these elitist ruling class assholes

[gethimoutofthehouse]

Thank God that this country, America, still has the Constitution and that the Left has not succeeded in annulling it. Thank God we still do have freedom of the press; and by the grace of God, Obama has not been able to close the press down.