Posted on 12/07/2013 5:40:27 PM PST by Libloather
Rep. James Sensenbrenner Jr., the original author of the Patriot Act, says Director of National Intelligence James Clapper should be prosecuted for lying to Congress.
"Lying to Congress is a federal offense, and Clapper ought to be fired and prosecuted for it," the Wisconsin Republican said in an interview with The Hill.
He said the Justice Department should prosecute Clapper for giving false testimony during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing in March.
During that hearing, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) asked Clapper whether the National Security Agency (NSA) collects data on millions of Americans. Clapper insisted that the NSA does not — or at least does "not wittingly" — collect information on Americans in bulk.
After documents leaked by Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA collects records on virtually all U.S. phone calls, Clapper apologized for the misleading comment.
The intelligence director said he tried to give the "least untruthful" answer he could without revealing classified information.
Sensenbrenner said that explanation doesn’t hold water and argued the courts and Congress depend on accurate testimony to do their jobs.
"The only way laws are effective is if they're enforced," Sensenbrenner said. "If it's a criminal offense — and I believe Mr. Clapper has committed a criminal offense — then the Justice Department ought to do its job."
Shawn Turner, a spokesman for Clapper, declined to comment.
Sensenbrenner also said President Obama should fire Clapper and NSA Director Keith Alexander in the wake of the revelations about the spying programs.
He argued that, because members of the military are naturally more concerned with national security, both jobs should be filled with civilians.
"The successor of both Clapper and Alexander ought to be civilians," Sensenbrenner said.
"I think that civilians would be able to have a better balance in seeing the distinction between security and civil liberties."
Alexander is a four-star Army general, while Clapper is a retired lieutenant general in the Air Force.
Senior White House officials are considering whether the next NSA director should be a civilian, as The Hill first reported last month. The NSA has been led only by military officers since its founding in 1952.
Alexander has said he will retire in the spring.
Sensenbrenner, a former chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, is pushing the USA Freedom Act, which would limit the NSA's power, tighten oversight and end the bulk collection of phone records.
He was the original author of the Patriot Act in 2001, which the NSA has cited when filing secret court requests to conduct surveillance.
But Sensenbrenner claims that the NSA is overstepping the law and violating the Constitution.
Didn't Hussein get caught doing that during the State of the Union Show?
Obama’s intel czar should be prosecuted
The same can be said for many in the Obama Administration.
This is not going to end well
bookmark
Clapper belongs in jail.
Only little thieves are hanged...?
Lie...that’s what most all of the DC freaks do.
If Sensenbrenner want to go after a liar—Impeach Obama.
He has lied to America as a whole.
... during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing in March... Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) asked Clapper whether the National Security Agency (NSA) collects data on millions of Americans. Clapper insisted that the NSA does not — or at least does "not wittingly" — collect information on Americans in bulk. After documents leaked by Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA collects records on virtually all U.S. phone calls, Clapper apologized for the misleading comment.His response was misleading because it is being taken out of context. The context was, he was lying. Partisan Media Shills ping. Thanks Libloather.
Ping.
There ain’t anyone in the Obozo admin being fired until we have seated a CONGRESS with some gonads. There are only a couple I can name up there that will stand up to the black man and his Chicago goons.
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- At least one (1) US Supreme Court Justice needs to be impeached to get the crooked greedy idiots of the administration, Department of Justice, IRS, Congress, and judiciary aware that as they ignore and/or break the law(s) that American citizens will now also cherry-pick which laws they chose to observe and/or obey.
- This was something members of the US Supreme Court worried about long ago.
- Tyranny and Dictatorship and Corruption and immunity for prosecution for Insider Trading will have serious consequences.
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........it’s such a MESS over all that I think ONLY THE MILITARY can straighten it out...............Congress NEVER will clean house or do what’s right! This includes the Congress starting in January 2014. They all get up there and within a few months they are corrupted. Yes, there are a few exceptions!
How, you say? The U.S. Miltary took over Germany and straightened it out. The U.S. Military took over Japan and straightened it out. So, they have precedent and experience.
Now it’s time to straighten out the U.S. Basically, several divisions of Army and Marines march into D.C. and tell the the Congress, President, Scotus, and the Fed Chair to go home. Then, they start closing whole agencies, starting with the EPA. For the ones that are given a stay of execution, we have plenty admirals and generals that are highly qualified. Select one of them to take over each department. Schedule elections in 4 years with term limits.
If the President lying to the American people isn’t a crime, why should lying to Congress be an issue?
Clapper could honestly say, “Mr. President, I was just following your lead.”
If you want to stop the snake, you go after the head.
Obama needs to be impeached, tried for treason and murder, and incarcerated for the rest of his life in a Federal Penitentiary
Must be getting close to Christmas, the Clappers on TV again.
Democrat’s nominees only unintentionally “mislead”, as pointed out in the article. Hmmm.
If Republican appointees make a mistake, however—they’re dirty liars and are hounded until they resign.
Of course, Clapper was fed a simple ‘Yes-No’ softball and didn’t expect Snowden to show up like a cum-stained dress, so he felt a lot worse than most Democrats who unintentionally mislead.
For about two minutes, after his mislie was disclosed.
PS I’m sure Darrell Issa will give him a stern glance.
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