And how long did the IRS abuse the Tea Party before records of such came out? And how long did the IRS abuse the Tea Party before records of such came out? Another problem.
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The IRS scandal is a big story now but the complaints from the Tea Party types goes back a couple of years.
Don't take Hayden's point lightly.
Abuse by NSA is certainly possible and particularly so given the predisposition of the Obama Administration to exploit the powers of Government Agencies for political advantage.
But, AFAIK, there are no examples of political exploitation resulting from the NSA surveillance. That is Hayden's point and I think he is correct.
You miss the larger point, as did all the Beltway talking heads today. We have an administration that is expanding its survelliance powers after saying it would not. We have an administration that tries to label political opposition as terroristic in nature. We have an administration that shows blatant, open contempt for checks and balances. We have an administration that is willing to tell bald-faces lies to the American people, day after day.
Add them all up and there is just too much potential for abuse, even if none has been done to date. The groundwork has been laid for that abuse already. This stuff needs to stop, and now.
NSA Whistleblower: Obama Took Down General Petraeus with Surveillance Program
Never knew the head of the CIA was a terrorist where this data should be used against him.
Officials: NSA mistakenly intercepted emails, phone calls of innocent Americans
Mistakenly. Yeah, sure. And it was only four low-level rogue staffers in Cincy behind the IRS Tea Party scandal.
Breaking: NSA Eavesdropped on People Whom They Had Personal Grudges (Audio)
“There are reported examples of the NSA, analysts at the NSA, using mechanisms they have access to. ABC reported several years ago through whistle blowers that they have used it to eavesdrop on people on whom they have personal grudges. There are isolated examples of the Patriot Act being abused. The problem is that the entire system operates behind a wall of extreme secrecy.”
If someone with a personal grudge can bypass safeguards Hayden claims are so airtight, how on earth can you prevent political use of this data?
Hint: You can't.