Ostensibly, he’s doing something completely different: “The Obama administration is preparing to unveil a legislative proposal for a far-reaching overhaul of the National Security Agency’s once-secret bulk phone records program in a way that — if approved by Congress — would end the aspect that has most alarmed privacy advocates since its existence was leaked last year, according to senior administration officials.”
“If.”
Look, we all know that this is how it will go down:
Barack Obama: Hey, guys, end the NSA program!
Senate: Ah… Yes. Yes, here is our bill that will pretty much kill the NSA and send all the people who currently work there to labor camps in Montana.
House: We aren’t going to pass that.
Senate: :publicly: BAD REPUBLICANS! BAD! :sotto voice: Thanks.
Barack Obama: BAD REPUBLICANS! BAD! :privately, strictly to himself: Thank God.
…and then we’ll go back to routine 90-day ‘temporary’ reauthorizations of the current way of doing things until the current controversy fades into the background. Because there isn’t anything as permanent as a temporary government solution, and nobody in power actually wants to change the program. Particularly since doing so would involve changing it in ways pleasing to individuals, groups, and countries that simply do not like the United States of America.
And yes, in comparison to some of that sort Barack Obama is freaking Captain America. Republican, Democrat, it doesn’t matter: rust never sleeps, and neither does the leadership cadre of the hardcore anti-American Left.
Moe Lane (crosspost)
Really, I don’t care if the NSA wiretaps the phones of foreigners overseas. That isn’t an issue to me, it is part of what is needed to keep us safe.
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My concern is whether or not they are illegally spying on Americans here in the US without a warrant (or a rubber stamped warrant). Seriously it wouldn’t be the first time some part of this administration have obtained a warrant under false pretenses to spy on Americans. The wiretapping of James Rosen, a journalist at Fox News along with the wiretapping of the Associated Press are case and point.
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Fact is, I can think of so many scandals, that this is beginning to look like an alphabet soup of scandals.
I don’t have a problem with our government spying on foreigners.
I don’t have a problem with our government examining data packets that cross our borders. (Incoming or outgoing, same as with physical packages. IF our government actually attempted to control our borders in the first place.)
I have a MAJOR problem with a General Writ, whereupon our federal government may spy upon its own citizenry. I name this treason.
I want to see necks in nooses.
Yeah, but you can’t stop ’em. You don’t have standing to bring suit.
You see, you can’t sue unless you have standing. But you don’t have standing unless you can show harm to yourself. But you can’t show harm to yourself without learning what they know about you and what they’ve done with the information. But you can’t find out what they know about you without bringing suit, because it’s secret. But you can’t sue, because you don’t have standing …