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Purveyor

(29,876 posts)
Sat May 30, 2015, 02:18 AM May 2015

Obama Warns the Senate to Pass Surveillance Law

Source: New York Times

By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVISMAY 29, 2015

WASHINGTON — President Obama suggested ominously on Friday that allowing domestic surveillance programs to expire at a Sunday deadline could lead to a terrorist attack on the United States.

Pushing the Senate to break a logjam on legislation, Mr. Obama warned in the Oval Office that, “I don’t want us to be in a situation in which, for a certain period of time, those authorities go away and suddenly we’re dark.”

“Heaven forbid we’ve got a problem where we could have prevented a terrorist attack or apprehended someone who was engaged in dangerous activity, but we didn’t do so simply because of inaction in the Senate,” Mr. Obama added.

The comments were the most explicit warning to date from the Obama administration about the consequences of allowing the surveillance powers to lapse. Administration officials have been pressing lawmakers for weeks to pass the legislation, called the USA Freedom Act, and in recent days have stepped up their efforts to portray it as a national security imperative.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/30/us/politics/obama-warns-the-senate-to-pass-surveillance-law.html?_r=0

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Obama Warns the Senate to Pass Surveillance Law (Original Post) Purveyor May 2015 OP
Sad day when the president is compelled to exhibit sniviling cowardice and encourage it in others. PSPS May 2015 #1
We paid the bank$ters to be strong for us. Why can we not sleep safely? n/t jtuck004 May 2015 #3
It's the lying that bothers me most Demeter May 2015 #37
Yep - lying. 840high May 2015 #49
Of course he did. delrem May 2015 #2
There should be a Law that says that proposed bills that Congress considers, Volaris May 2015 #4
I'm guessing he's no longer even pretending he's a Democrat. Fearless May 2015 #5
He has so betrayed us. Paka May 2015 #6
x10+++++ 840high May 2015 #50
+1 Enthusiast May 2015 #11
I wonder that to newfie11 May 2015 #25
I know, right! I thought that after his last election it would free him up to really try Dustlawyer May 2015 #26
I thought the same thing. zeemike May 2015 #35
Sadly, now we know. Paka May 2015 #66
And who he's afraid of. ananda May 2015 #39
My guess is that he just wanted to keep his Fearless May 2015 #40
protect social security? snores and crickets. but spy on americans he's right there nt msongs May 2015 #7
Director Clapper says... xocet May 2015 #8
Clapper was left in place. aka "no harm done". Makes ya think. delrem May 2015 #32
Screw you Mr. President. TM99 May 2015 #9
Fear-mongering? Quackers May 2015 #10
That pretty much sums up my thoughts exactly davidpdx May 2015 #18
Maybe he's already had an intervention OnionPatch May 2015 #44
"Terrah! Terrah! Terrah!" Psephos May 2015 #63
My feelings too! In some ways great, in other ways quite questionable! n/t RKP5637 May 2015 #27
The Bush Administration ignored direct warnings. And yet nothing was done. Enthusiast May 2015 #12
They can't even monitor / check / verify every word. joshcryer May 2015 #17
Now, Americans are guilty until proven innocent. Same way with cops anymore. Every citizen is the RKP5637 May 2015 #29
They cannot be trusted at all. Enthusiast May 2015 #30
I have no hope that he will change. Not at this point. He'll remain the Rockefeller Republican villager May 2015 #13
Damn it, there are some pretty big issues the president and I would not agree on. Ed Suspicious May 2015 #14
Tomorrow he'll bring back the color-coded threat levels. Scuba May 2015 #15
I was just thinking of that yesterday! Ashcroft and the threat levels. What's next, stockpile in RKP5637 May 2015 #31
That is exactly what I was thinking. salib May 2015 #42
The programs have prevented ZERO attacks. joshcryer May 2015 #16
Nooooo! He's a Democrat! We can't say anything negative about him!! RufusTFirefly May 2015 #19
Are you suggesting we hold it inside and explode? Paka May 2015 #67
Yes! Any explosion will undoubtedly have a positive effect on economic growth! RufusTFirefly May 2015 #73
Obama is a complete disaster. bowens43 May 2015 #20
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! OnyxCollie May 2015 #21
no the two major parties aren't the same. they damn sure ain't nearly different enough... KG May 2015 #22
It is just one damn big show INdemo May 2015 #62
I voted for him twice. Paka May 2015 #68
The second time I held my nose INdemo May 2015 #70
ignore what they say, watch what they do Angel Martin May 2015 #80
It's like in food marketing: you can have two two completely different brands GliderGuider May 2015 #81
36 days before 9/11 -- "bin Laden determined to stike in US... using airplanes" GreatGazoo May 2015 #23
He's watching Fox too much nt LiberalElite May 2015 #24
And yet people keep claiming he is a liberal Kelvin Mace May 2015 #28
More evidence of Thespian2 May 2015 #33
lame duck unleashes radical liberal that's been hiding for six years!!!111!!!1! Doctor_J May 2015 #34
Heaven forbid some idiot ignore a PDB. Autumn May 2015 #36
Germany has not attacked us since 9/11. Q.E.D. whereisjustice May 2015 #38
surely this was actually from the Onion??? niyad May 2015 #41
The "Fear 'n' Terror" stories have been all over the national and local "news", The Big Sell is on! Dont call me Shirley May 2015 #43
This massive juggernaut of surveillance christx30 May 2015 #45
One of the most important reasons I voted for him was that he was a constitutional law professor. hedda_foil May 2015 #46
Actually, a guest lecturer, not professor. Psephos May 2015 #64
Very disappointed. davidthegnome May 2015 #47
Good.. yeah, I'm sure there was a bug in the Oval Office and this writer could hear Pres Obama Cha May 2015 #48
Post removed Post removed May 2015 #51
"I'd hate to think you're this fucking stupid all on your own." you worry about yourself. Cha May 2015 #55
I think Obama trusts his intelligence advisers. joshcryer May 2015 #74
I also think he knows a heluva alot more what is needed than some clueless posters on DU. DCBob May 2015 #77
No Mr.President silenttigersong May 2015 #52
What surveillance programs? treestar May 2015 #53
Some will come to his defense the same way they passionately defend their favorite cereal RufusTFirefly May 2015 #54
Some will jump on anything without looking into it treestar May 2015 #56
This message was self-deleted by its author rjsquirrel May 2015 #57
sounds like the Bush Regime WDIM May 2015 #58
soon it'll be "Does anyone remember when Barack Obama was supposedly going to MisterP May 2015 #59
Oh Pa....lease LiberalLovinLug May 2015 #60
Obama could very easily earn the Name George Bush III INdemo May 2015 #61
I see your true colors Marblehead May 2015 #65
Invasion of the body snatchers OneCrazyDiamond May 2015 #69
No domestic spying without a warrant. rocktivity May 2015 #71
Thanks Obama! Beauregard May 2015 #72
Now he can stop pandering to voters and say what he really wants. Kablooie May 2015 #75
What is it about those dark forces in any administration JonLP24 May 2015 #76
Reckless Jesus Malverde May 2015 #78
Bookmarking for future reference when people pretend he never said this. n/t hughee99 May 2015 #79

PSPS

(13,512 posts)
1. Sad day when the president is compelled to exhibit sniviling cowardice and encourage it in others.
Sat May 30, 2015, 02:30 AM
May 2015

"Home of the brave."
"The only thing we have to fear is ... fear itself."

Not anymore, it appears. Now we live in a country of bed wetters who, apparently, live in a constant state of fear.



 

Demeter

(85,373 posts)
37. It's the lying that bothers me most
Sat May 30, 2015, 09:09 AM
May 2015

NSA has demonstrably failed every time. It's purpose is not the publicly stated "War against Terrorism".

NSA exists to blackmail and entrap and enslave all Americans, and kill as many of the rest of the world's population as will sit still for droning...

delrem

(9,688 posts)
2. Of course he did.
Sat May 30, 2015, 02:37 AM
May 2015

WTF happened to the Obama the crowds cheered in '08?

So the argument is a noun, a verb, and 9/11. That's all, folks!

Volaris

(10,260 posts)
4. There should be a Law that says that proposed bills that Congress considers,
Sat May 30, 2015, 03:00 AM
May 2015

should have to be called the thing that they DO
In this case, the Freedom FROM Freedom Act.

The majority of the elected and appointed government of this country must just think were all as dumb as the Republican Base

Fearless

(18,421 posts)
5. I'm guessing he's no longer even pretending he's a Democrat.
Sat May 30, 2015, 03:17 AM
May 2015

Makes you wonder who's lining his pockets.

Dustlawyer

(10,493 posts)
26. I know, right! I thought that after his last election it would free him up to really try
Sat May 30, 2015, 08:08 AM
May 2015

some good things. I just had it wrong about who the good things would be for.

zeemike

(18,998 posts)
35. I thought the same thing.
Sat May 30, 2015, 08:48 AM
May 2015

That once free from elections things would be different...and right out of the box he proposed chained CPI and then the TPP...and I knew we had been fooled again.

That wooden horse looked so real I took it in.

xocet

(3,870 posts)
8. Director Clapper says...
Sat May 30, 2015, 03:45 AM
May 2015
Obama Warns the Senate to Pass Surveillance Law

By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS | MAY 29, 2015

...

In a statement issued shortly before Mr. Obama spoke, James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence, said that intelligence professionals “will lose important capabilities” if the authorities expire.

...

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/30/us/politics/obama-warns-the-senate-to-pass-surveillance-law.html


Gosh! Director Clapper is a paragon of truthfulness. We must act posthaste to rally the Senate...
 

TM99

(8,352 posts)
9. Screw you Mr. President.
Sat May 30, 2015, 04:04 AM
May 2015

Have you no shame?

You are supposed to be the side of the constitution, the people, and not be fear-mongering in order to allow the surveillance state that started under Bush to grow and morph under your watch.

Quackers

(2,256 posts)
10. Fear-mongering?
Sat May 30, 2015, 04:04 AM
May 2015

That's twice you have disappointed me. First the TPP and now this? I still think you've done some great stuff and are a great president, but I am at a loss for your recent actions. Is it time for an intervention?

davidpdx

(22,000 posts)
18. That pretty much sums up my thoughts exactly
Sat May 30, 2015, 05:18 AM
May 2015

He needs to be put in a room with about two dozen people who worked their asses off getting him elected twice and given a talking to.

OnionPatch

(6,169 posts)
44. Maybe he's already had an intervention
Sat May 30, 2015, 11:24 AM
May 2015

From people a lot more powerful than those who got him elected.

Enthusiast

(50,983 posts)
12. The Bush Administration ignored direct warnings. And yet nothing was done.
Sat May 30, 2015, 04:07 AM
May 2015

But now they want to examine every word by every American citizen. I call bullshit on that noise.

joshcryer

(62,265 posts)
17. They can't even monitor / check / verify every word.
Sat May 30, 2015, 05:08 AM
May 2015

They can only look at the past data collected after an event happens. They simply don't have the capability to actually go over every piece of data especially since most of the common hits are probably people posting on message boards like this. Any real attacks are likely obfuscated even.

This is what happened in that attack on the Muslim drawing convention thing, those guys posted publicly and openly on social media about what they were fixing to do, and they simply did not catch it or do a damn thing about it.

The value of this data collection is likely near nil. (Yes, they might, after an attack, be able to figure out who was responsible and maybe catch some people higher up the ladder, but that is not worth spying on everyone in the world who uses the internet or any data channels.)

RKP5637

(67,030 posts)
29. Now, Americans are guilty until proven innocent. Same way with cops anymore. Every citizen is the
Sat May 30, 2015, 08:10 AM
May 2015

potential enemy, us and them. I do not trust them with the data, there are huge credibility gaps.

 

villager

(26,001 posts)
13. I have no hope that he will change. Not at this point. He'll remain the Rockefeller Republican
Sat May 30, 2015, 04:09 AM
May 2015

...that he is.

RKP5637

(67,030 posts)
31. I was just thinking of that yesterday! Ashcroft and the threat levels. What's next, stockpile in
Sat May 30, 2015, 08:13 AM
May 2015

tape and plastic sheeting.

RufusTFirefly

(8,812 posts)
19. Nooooo! He's a Democrat! We can't say anything negative about him!!
Sat May 30, 2015, 05:28 AM
May 2015

You're all just a bunch of haters! That's what you are!!

RufusTFirefly

(8,812 posts)
73. Yes! Any explosion will undoubtedly have a positive effect on economic growth!
Sun May 31, 2015, 12:47 AM
May 2015

And that's why we're here, isn't it?

If life isn't ultimately about increasing GDP, I can't even begin to imagine what its purpose would be!

INdemo

(6,994 posts)
62. It is just one damn big show
Sat May 30, 2015, 03:10 PM
May 2015

A Democrat (except for a few Warren class Democrats) in Washington feeds us Democrats just enough crumbs to make us think they are on our side but then they turn their backs and stick out their hand and pick up their corporate check.
Yes this is way things happen and Obama is no different. He is a corporate puppet and his real patriotism is to the corporations and the Wall St warriors that writes his checks...

I'm curious just how much he has in donations from the corporate world for his library so far?

But I am like so many Democrats, this guy fooled me twice.

INdemo

(6,994 posts)
70. The second time I held my nose
Sat May 30, 2015, 09:37 PM
May 2015

When Obama appointed so many Republicans to his cabinet his first term I knew we were in trouble.

 

GliderGuider

(21,088 posts)
81. It's like in food marketing: you can have two two completely different brands
Sun May 31, 2015, 07:42 PM
May 2015

One is industrial, the other organic; one cheap, the other expensive; one marketed to blue-collar workers, the other to yuppies...

But they are both owned by the same parent company.

It's not rocket science, people.

GreatGazoo

(3,937 posts)
23. 36 days before 9/11 -- "bin Laden determined to stike in US... using airplanes"
Sat May 30, 2015, 07:10 AM
May 2015

They got that intel 36 days before 9/11/01. The problem was not lack of intel -- it was what they did with the intel they got.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bin_Ladin_Determined_To_Strike_in_US

christx30

(6,241 posts)
45. This massive juggernaut of surveillance
Sat May 30, 2015, 11:27 AM
May 2015

is so important. It helped stop those two idiots from bombing the Boston marathon in 2013.

Wait... no... it didn't.

hedda_foil

(16,368 posts)
46. One of the most important reasons I voted for him was that he was a constitutional law professor.
Sat May 30, 2015, 11:50 AM
May 2015

I honestly believed he would rein in the constitutional excesses of the Cheney administration and repair and restore our rights. I feel so

[font size="8"]BETRAYED[/font"]


Psephos

(8,032 posts)
64. Actually, a guest lecturer, not professor.
Sat May 30, 2015, 03:14 PM
May 2015

Which still doesn't absolve him of abuses against the Constitution.

davidthegnome

(2,983 posts)
47. Very disappointed.
Sat May 30, 2015, 11:50 AM
May 2015

Not sure what I really expected - but it certainly wasn't this. To find myself agreeing more with Rand Paul (on this particular issue - yes, he is still an asshole) than with Barrack Obama is... ridiculous. What the hell, man?

The USA Freedom Act? Man, trying to mask this shit as something that promotes or enables greater freedom is despicable. It assumes that we're ALL idiots glued to Fox news. There may be a significant portion of our populace that IS - but there are plenty of us who know a wolf in sheep's clothing.

The idea that they can't gather enough intelligence, that this would somehow prevent them from stopping a terrorist, or that "inaction" from the Senate now is more harmful than any other millions of times before (how often is the Senate actually "active"?) is vaguely amusing.

Those who sacrifice freedom for safety deserve neither - and this is not going to improve our freedom. To pretend otherwise is fucking absurd.

Cha

(295,899 posts)
48. Good.. yeah, I'm sure there was a bug in the Oval Office and this writer could hear Pres Obama
Sat May 30, 2015, 12:06 PM
May 2015

speaking "ominously". But, everyone's just sucking it up.

If the President wants this then there's a good reason. I trust him. I don't care how many people are accusing him of "fear mongering".

Response to Cha (Reply #48)

joshcryer

(62,265 posts)
74. I think Obama trusts his intelligence advisers.
Sun May 31, 2015, 04:07 AM
May 2015

I think they are wrong.

If we had the Ending Secrets Laws Act we could know what stuff these programs is actually stopping or preventing from happening. But thanks to Carter's FISA we're stuck just trusting that the system is working.

silenttigersong

(957 posts)
52. No Mr.President
Sat May 30, 2015, 12:25 PM
May 2015

This means we can just for speaking out being dissedent be placed on blacklists,political eneimies lists,no.

treestar

(82,383 posts)
53. What surveillance programs?
Sat May 30, 2015, 12:26 PM
May 2015

And how long have they been in place?

The Republicans wouldn't mind a terrorist attack while Obama is POTUS. That's how vile they are.

So from the article:

The measure, passed overwhelmingly by the House this month, would extend the government’s authority to obtain business and other records pertaining to a specific investigative subject, to secure so-called roving wiretaps to track potential terrorists or spies who switch telephones to avoid detection, and to wiretap a terrorism suspect who is not part of a particular group.

But the controversy has centered on the National Security Agency program that collects bulk telephone records, which the bill would eliminate. Instead, under a bipartisan compromise backed by the Obama administration, telephone companies would retain the data, and the N.S.A. could gain access to it by obtaining an order from the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.


So no reason for hair on fire pronouncements.

RufusTFirefly

(8,812 posts)
54. Some will come to his defense the same way they passionately defend their favorite cereal
Sat May 30, 2015, 12:26 PM
May 2015

Apparently unaware that all of them come from the same handful of manufacturers.

The president had an award-winning marketing campaign (literally) and far too many of us bought it.

treestar

(82,383 posts)
56. Some will jump on anything without looking into it
Sat May 30, 2015, 12:29 PM
May 2015

As an excuse to go Hair on Fire. Read the article, there is nothing new happening.

Response to Purveyor (Original post)

MisterP

(23,730 posts)
59. soon it'll be "Does anyone remember when Barack Obama was supposedly going to
Sat May 30, 2015, 02:42 PM
May 2015

renew NSA spying? See, I remember that Big Lie"

LiberalLovinLug

(14,153 posts)
60. Oh Pa....lease
Sat May 30, 2015, 02:59 PM
May 2015

"...which, for a certain period of time, those authorities go away and suddenly we’re dark.”

Does anyone honestly think, after years of snubbing their noses at the Constitution, both the last and the present administration, that those assigned to snoop and gather in the deepest Kafkaesk apparatchik would put down their headsets for one second just because some "law" wasn't renewed in time?

All passing and extending it does is make it all shiny and above board and iron clad. For political purposes. They never did or do need that to carry on their work on "the dark side".

What is disappointing is not that this aspect of mass data collection will be renewed, (I've given up all hope and change that Obama will ever try and shut it down) but that he did not even attempt to address the Constitutional faults, and Clappers lying to Congress last time, that he did not even propose any legal safeguards for abuse, where terrorism is not the focus. ie...Authorities, even a political party, wanting to silence a citizen so they comb through all the raw data from that person until they find some shred of a misdead, on their tax return or internet browsing, or email language, facebook...something to threaten and shut up dissent.

INdemo

(6,994 posts)
61. Obama could very easily earn the Name George Bush III
Sat May 30, 2015, 03:00 PM
May 2015

Since Republicans stole the Majority in Congress Obama's Republican ideology is shining through.

OneCrazyDiamond

(2,029 posts)
69. Invasion of the body snatchers
Sat May 30, 2015, 08:45 PM
May 2015

You can tell hes was truly angry then.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="
" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

rocktivity

(44,555 posts)
71. No domestic spying without a warrant.
Sat May 30, 2015, 10:15 PM
May 2015

If you have reason to suspect someone, there's no reason why you can't get a warrant.

Thank you and good night.


rocktivity

Kablooie

(18,571 posts)
75. Now he can stop pandering to voters and say what he really wants.
Sun May 31, 2015, 10:07 AM
May 2015

and suddenly he becomes a weak Republican.

It's really creepy.
Maybe Hillary would have been a better choice in 2008.

JonLP24

(29,322 posts)
76. What is it about those dark forces in any administration
Sun May 31, 2015, 10:11 AM
May 2015

To be able to get the Presidents to do their bidding. "Our Constitutional works. Our Bill of Rights works." I can't tell which was him or phony.

Jesus Malverde

(10,274 posts)
78. Reckless
Sun May 31, 2015, 11:11 AM
May 2015

As Rand Paul threatened to “force the expiration of the NSA illegal spy program”, Barack Obama on Saturday made a last-ditch plea to Congress to pass a bill that limits some surveillance powers, saying it would be “irresponsible” and “reckless” to allow such authorities to expire at midnight on Sunday.

“This is a matter of national security,” Obama said in his weekly address. “We shouldn’t surrender the tools that help keep us safe. It would be irresponsible. It would be reckless.”

Obama blamed “a small group of senators [who are] standing in the way”, understating the gridlock in Congress caused by several groups who support or oppose the reform-minded bill, the USA Freedom Act, over a status quo renewal of powers under the Patriot Act.

Republicans and Democrats are divided into three primary factions that do not necessarily fall in party lines. Surveillance hawks, including Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, want a clean, temporary reauthorization of NSA and FBI powers. Another faction, backed by the White House, supports the USA Freedom Act as a “reasonable compromise” between privacy and security.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/may/30/nsa-surveillance-obama-congress-usa-freedom-act

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