Posted on 06/06/2013 8:12:31 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Phone Record Gathering Story Blown Out of Proportion By Andrew C. McCarthy June 6, 2013 10:29 AM
Now, we begin to see the wages of having an administration that abuses its awesome powers, then, as night follows day, stonewalls and misleads Congress and the public. Crucial national security measures, which operate on the forgiving assumption that government officials will conduct themselves honorably, are put at risk.
The Washington Post publishes a wildly exaggerated report this morning about the government’s collection of telephone records for national security purposes. Mind you, I said collection of telephone records, not wiretapping of telephone conversations, a critical distinction. The story sensationally proclaims that the National Security Agency (NSA) “appears to be collecting the telephone records of tens of millions” of Americans – records of cross-border as well as domestic calls.
With stories swirling around about the Obama administration siccing the IRS on the Tea Party and abusively spying on journalists, this revelation obviously strikes a disturbing chord. But then, as we read further, we learn that the telephone record gathering is proceeding under court orders, and that the surveillance actually goes back to 2006.
The Post has a propensity to repeat uncritically the hysterical claims of anti-anti-terrorism activists at outfits like the Brennan Center (“This is a truly stunning revelation,” shrieks one Brennan official). In truth, though, there is nothing new or groundbreaking about the surveillance in question. The Post solves this inconvenience by underscoring that the record-collection is happening under … wait for it … the Patriot Act – two words that not only roil Bush-deranged Democrats but also make some factions of the Tea Party see red.
Here is what they don’t tell you.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
Here’s what this idiot does not get,,whatever the “reason”,,whatever the “extent” of the surveillance, we can be certain the government is going to LIE about it.
Didn’t take long for Obama’s MSM drones to get their talking points from the WH and then go forth to try and discredit the story, which DOJ just admitted was true.
Which makes spying on private citizens right in exactly what way?
IT’S BUSH’S FAULT!
NSA spying on American people is not blowing it out of proportion - could you imagine if Bush did it. He would be driven from office.
The only agency that is more secret then NSA would be DARPA.
This has been going on for decades.
Bingo!
The Guardian is perhaps the most leftist mainstream newspaper in the English-speaking world. This wasn’t a leaked information, this is a planted story for misdirection away from other scandals.
Why should we care what the guy from Weekend at Bernie’s thinks? /s
Not working. Liberal journalists have been complaining about this type of thing since Bush was President and they will have a hard time walking it back. The White House strategy is the same “Get on board or go under the train”.
Fun to watch. First they mortify and then they justify.
“collection of telephone records, not wiretapping of telephone conversations, a critical distinction.”
http://www.johnspeedie.com/healy/bull.wav
Only if all involved were acting in good faith, which we know they haven't and won't.
And anyway, when the GOP forced through the Patriot Act renewal in May 2011, John Boehner, Eric Cantor, and Kevin McCarthy PROMISED that things like this would not happen because of the FISA court, and now we find out that the court is basically worthless.
“shrieks”?
Talk about hysteria...
Killing civilians and U.S. citizens via drone.
Seizing telephone records at the Associated Press in violation of Justice Department guidelines.
Accusing a respected Fox News reporter of engaging in a conspiracy to commit treason for doing his job.
Detaining terrorist suspects at Guantanamo Bay, despite promises to end the ill-considered Bush policy.
If you click through to to the comments at the original article, the author’s reasoning is pretty convincingly shredded.
Oh and McCarthy can KMA. He's Un-American.
I am not going to rehash the vigorous debate we had circa 2004-2006 over the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping and the president’s authority to seize information without judicial authorization. There is no reason to believe that is going on.
There's no reason to believe it's NOT going on, either Particularly with a pathological, narcissistic halfrican with delusions of godhood running the country!
Obama administration has never really had the moral authority to lead. Now most people are outwardly vocal about the lack of the morality to lead.
Our country is unraveling... and I am quietly wondering if that is the only way back to our roots.
All the quislings are rushing to get on board so they can be on the good side of Uncle Thuggery.
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