Posted on 07/01/2013 8:30:29 AM PDT by USS Johnston
Former President George W. Bush has weighed in on the Edward Snowden saga, telling CNN the former National Security Agency contractor threatened the security of U.S. citizens by leaking information about the surveillance program his administration created after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.
"I know he damaged the country," Bush said in an interview from Zambia, where he and his wife, Laura, are on a humanitarian mission. "The Obama administration will deal with it. I think he damaged the security of the country."
Like President Barack Obama, Bush deflected criticism of the spy program.
"I put the program in place to protect the country, and one of the certainties is civil liberties were guaranteed," Bush said in the interview...
Bush also refused to criticize his successor. "It doesn't do any good," he said. "It's a hard job. He has plenty on his agenda and it's difficult. [A] former president doesn't need to make it harder."
The White House said Obama will meet Bush on Tuesday in Tanzania...
He added: "You know, ultimately history will judge the decisions that I made. And I won't be around because it's going to take a while for the objective historians to show up. So I'm pretty comfortable with it. I did what I did."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
In what European country are you?
“Bush also refused to criticize his successor.”
Why not? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm....
Obama got the goods on the Bush’s?
If Bush wont comment on this communist regime, then he
need’s to keep his flap shut and quit letting Obama tell
him what to say.
“I put the program in place to protect the country, and one of the certainties is civil liberties were guaranteed,”
Translation: Give up your freedom and privacy for security.
I Don’t know why but, just like Clinton, the further away
we get from the Bush years the worse he looks.
Little George, the RINO who gave us Obama, can shove the NSA square up his rear ass.
And liberals meet in Africa. Afterwards they can swap stories on who spied against Americans better, little george or his darker skinned blood brother Comrade Obamagabe.
Is this the same Bush who wouldn’t defend himself or his actions while he WAS in office?
The same one. He just kept smiling as they kicked him around. I don’t remember one time that he defended himself.
Agreed.
Although I do appreciate the leadership W showed after 9/11, his ineptitude and his refusal to defend himself against political as well as his refusal to actually be a conservative resulted in the Obamination we have now.
This from the guy who restored Big Government after the sanity of the Reagan revolution. He is also among those in the ruling class who wants to reward millions of illegal alien law breakers and attract millions more.
“...‘He damaged the security of the country’...”
Said the pot to the kettle.
Who cares? I belong to what you probably would call the (hehe) evil EU-elites... My family is a mixture of German, French, Polish, American and Jewish ingrediens. Most of my time I spend in Switzerland, southern Germany and France. I understand myself as a real European.
I like the US and its people, but we do not owe you anything nor do we really need you in the meantime anymore. In the past this was different but not today.. Nevertheless it would be tragic if the Trans-Atlantic friendship is permanently spoiled because of childish behaviour.
” [A] former president doesn’t need to make it harder.”
Whatever you think about his statements here, he at least is showing more class than his predecessors and their Vices, who dumped on him after Jimmuh lead the charge.
>>Why do Americans have to specify that they DON’T want third party’s using their information instead of having to specify that they DO?
Again, when you give it away, it is no longer exclusively your information.>>
That doesn’t answer the question: Why do Americans have to specify that they DON’T want third party’s using their information instead of having to specify that they DO?
>>What are they putting on “your property”?>>
They place things on this computer almost every time I visit a website, and I did NOT give them permission to do so. And no, clicking a link does not constitute permission.
Because if you give something to somebody, it isn't yours anymore and you cannot dictate to them how they will use it. If you want to dictate to them the terms of their use, then you will have to get them to sign a contract with you that agrees to your terms of use.
They place things on this computer almost every time I visit a website
Who is "they"?
While there is no shortage of viruses and trojans and cookies out there, legally compliant service providers have to ask your permission to put things on your hard drive.
Yes, it no longer matters.
I have family in Leipzig and Dublin. They are good people.
One day a so-called "conservative" supporter of Snowden will take a step back and rationally examine what Snowden has done.
But, as usual, that day is not today.
Okay, let's make it today.
1. The NSA program of domestic surveillance does not appear to be authorized by any law passed by Congress.
2. It does not seem that the federal courts have authorized such domestic surveillance, either.
3. According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the program does not comply with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and was found by the Justice Department to violate criminal laws.
4. The 4th Amendment to the Constitution states, "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
5. Telephone communication is a standard and widely-used means of communication in the United States.
6. Wide seizure of records regarding such communication is taking place by the federal government without any regard whatsoever to whether there is probable cause for the government to seize such records in regard to any specific individual.
7. The possession of such records gives the government vast power to know many things about specific individuals, including who they associate with, how often they speak to them and for how long, and a very good deal about what their personal movements and locations are during pretty much any specific period of time.
8. This surveillance has been conducted routinely upon virtually all American citizens completely without their knowledge, and completely without their permission.
9. The government has not even demonstrated any significant benefit to the American people of this program of pervasive spying on the American public, or any specific damage caused by American citizens knowing about it.
10. Recourse exists for the government to spy on specific individuals suspected of crime or terrorism.
11. Vast potential exists for governmental abuse of this information.
12. The existing administration has already abused its power by using federal power, including Department of Justice spying on reporters and IRS targeting of groups perceived as the President's political enemies.
As far as I can see, Edward Snowden has done one thing and one thing only: He has informed the American public that the federal government is ILLEGALLY SPYING ON EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US.
I’ve read some of your other comments. Obviously, I don’t condone giving information to the Russians or the Chinese.
As for revealing the NSA domestic spying program, though, I consider that a service.
I think you might want to calm down a bit....please try to get over yourself.
If you had info that showed the gov. was doing something wrong, would you run off to foreign countries, especially doubtful “friends” like Russia and tell them our secrets? I don’t think you would. But Snowden did.
Nobody is actually reading any articles about Snowden, they just read headlines (and maybe the odd clueless ranting blogger) and go on rants.
+++++++++++
Indeed. That is my major complaint about 90% of the posters to the Snowden threads. What happens is that “speculation” quickly morphs into “it is obviously true and if you don’t believe it then you are a traitor”. The actual facts are left on the floor.
I’ve been a lurker for a while and I have seen the herd mentality chase the headline of the day.
Eventually the truth becomes undeniable and then they all start backtracking.
Just give it time and weather out the slings and arrow.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.