Posted on 06/11/2013 7:19:11 AM PDT by RummyChick
ST. PAUL (WCCO) US Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., says hes not surprised by revelations that federal security agencies collect phone and computer data on American citizens.
The National Security Agency secretly gathered personal data on Americans since 2007, including their internet use and cell phone service. Its something Franken says he was very well aware of.
I can assure you, this is not about spying on the American people, Franken said.
Franken, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, says he got secret security briefings on the program and he says it prevented unspecified terrorist acts.
I have a high level of confidence that this is used to protect us and I know that it has been successful in preventing terrorism, Franken said.
Frankens comments come one day after a former U.S. government intelligence worker, named Edward Snowden, identified himself as the person responsible for leaking documents about the program to a British Newspaper.
Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison told ABC News he has deep concerns and that very few members of Congress knew the extent of the secret surveillance.
We need to peel it back and we need to make sure congress is considering the constitution when we write these laws, Ellison said.
But Franken defends the secrecy of the program, saying the government is trying to strike a delicate balance between public right to safety and the public right to privacy.
There are certain things that are appropriate for me to know that is not appropriate for the bad guys to know, Franken said.
Franken said he believes its proper for the Justice Department to investigate the government worker who leaked the existence of the NSA program.
However, Franken did not answer our question on whether he thought the leaker should be extradited from Hong Kong and prosecuted.
Pathetic liberal idiot and moron. And believe me, I would say that to his face. Respectfully of course!
I think Greenwald is planning to lie low until they all stick their feet in their mouths and then produce the evidence.
The assurances of a buffoon in the ruling class do not assure me - certainly not when our God-given constitutional rights are admittedly being violated by what is supposed to be our government. More important than what might be appropriate for Franken to know, there are certain things that are not appropriate for Franken or any of the other bad guys to know. The federal government should not have these data on everyone under any circumstances, and they should not have these data on any individual without a warrant based on probable cause to suspect that individual, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the data to be seized.
-- Al Franken, May 25, 2011
"I'm good enough, but you're not!" Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah!
I can’t believe the morons in that state elected AN ACTUAL CLOWN to the Senate.
“What about the 4th Amendment, you moron? “
Exactly. This “striking the delicate balance” bullsh— never considers the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Hey Franken, Stein this: the founding fathers already did the whole delicate balance thing. They decided the individuals right to privacy trumps a building full of yazoos laughing it up in Bluffdale over my private conversations.
We didn’t. Unless you count 107% of registered voters of certain precincts as legit...
I thought the war was over?
i.e. someone other than a Democrat getting "elected".
It's also prevented:
What happens if Snowden leaks the the NSA is watching and listening to Tea Party members. Totally possible.
totally probable.
Obama has shown he will not respect any boundaries. Chicago politics all the way.
It’s not about spying on Democrats.
Franken knows.
I wonder if Franken said that when W was Prez......
I feel Snowden is a very smart and careful guy. This feels like a Bourne movie. He didn’t leave the building empty handed. I feel he cherry picked what would have the maximum impact for his cause. The beauty thing about this is that lying can bite you. Who knows what emails he has. This will take weeks to play out.
I am paranoid. I wonder if that Hustler guy (the porno king) got access to “the data” and used his plea for info from the people as a way to divert where he got all his info on Republican politicians.
Well, then the LAW as expressed in the Bill of Rights doesn't matter, does it? As long as we have Nazi Franken's assurance that breaking the LAW was to PROTECT us?
How wonderful to be able to break the LAW with impunity!
How wonderful to be above the LAW!
How wonderful that the LAW applies differently to high-handed, sanctimonious, hypocritical government hacks than it does to upstanding, patriotic, productive citizens!
Long live the aristocracy!
I believe this answers your question.
I guess this village idiot didn't get the briefings on the IRS interfering with conservative orgs. I'm sure the progressives have dipped into this wealth of information (NSA) as well.
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