Obama’s Defining Fight: How He Will Take On the NSA’s Surveillance State in 2014

[MindMover]

Before he left for Hawaii, the president was sending signals that government surveillance programs need an overhaul to restore the public’s faith on issues of national security.

Before President Obama left for his 17-day vacation in Hawaii, White House officials made it clear that his holiday reading would consist of a lot more than beach novels to escape the stresses of Washington. He'd also be studying a 300-page report on how to rein in the government's controversial surveillance programs that had just been delivered to him by a high-level panel of experts.

Sure, Obama has gotten in plenty of rounds of golf with his presidential posse, as well as impromptu trips to shaved ice joints and leisurely strolls along the islands' stunning beaches with his family. But weighing on him throughout the winter getaway has been one of the most consequential national security decisions of his presidency: whether to adopt a set of recommendations that would represent the most dramatic curbing of the intelligence community's eavesdropping powers since the Vietnam war.

This has been an especially rough year for Obama, with the government shutdown, brinksmanship over the debt ceiling, a domestic agenda that largely ground to a halt, and the famously troubled health-care rollout. But no issue has created more sustained pain for the administration than the torrent of leaks about the government's electronic spying programs by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden .

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/12/31/obama-s-defining-fight-how-he-will-take-on-the-nsa-s-surveillance-state-in-2014.html

[Laelth]

1. As I said elsewhere ... I'll believe that when I see it. n/t

-Laelth

[tridim]

2. Because he's such an obvious liar, huh?

Obama follows through on EVERYTHING he promises. Please start paying attention.

[Laelth]

4. I don't think he's a liar.

No more so than any other politician, in any event, but I think the President's energy might be better spent on economic matters. That said, if he can rein in the surveillance state, I will be impressed. Other politicians have been less-than-successful in their attempts to do so.

-Laelth

[tridim]

5. "No more of a liar than any other politican" ???

Wow, you REALLY aren't paying attention at all. Problem ID'ed.

[Laelth]

6. I admire your stalwart support of the President.

I am glad you're on my side on the issues that really matter. You are, indeed, loyal.

-Laelth

[marsis]

7. He's a Chicago Democrat,

that's how they roll. I loath them a little just a bit less than teabaggers. At least a teabagger believes what he says.
Never ever believe anything one of those Chicago thugs say.

[tridim]

8. LMAO. M'kay...

Laelth, meet marsis.

Gee, I sure do love neo-DU.

[marsis]

12. Ha ha, good one!

[JimDandy]

9. Good grief, calling Obama a thug? Sounds as racist as a lot of

teabaggers.

If you're disappointed, discouraged, upset or disagree with Obama, focus on each ISSUE you don't agree with and do something about it.

I don't belong to the Cult of Obama that flourishes on some parts of DU. After voting him in on the expectations implied in his "Hope and Change" marketing campaign, I was sadly disappointed with how he has handled some issues. Focusing on each issue, though, instead of on him or what he says, allows me to work for change instead of hoping for it.

[MindMover]

10. They are marked as a troll and given in to the ignorance from the right ...

[marsis]

11. Bullshit

I called Chicago Democrats thugs, guess he is included in that, but where in hell do you get racist!?!?

Your kind are what the teabaggers use to try and prove that they're not racists. Don't give them ammunition by claiming any negative thing about Obama is racist, JHC.

I wholly reject your misinformed post.

[Pholus]

3. It sounds hopeful, but the article does underscore that we are getting

talk out of both sides of the mouth as the President defends his people
even as he tries to understand what is going on. It will come down to
actions taken.

The worst conclusion you can draw from the statements in this article is
that nobody seems to have a full handle on the activities being undertaken,
if you take Alexander's statement on metadata at face value.

I can imagine this is true. Intelligence funding EXCEEDS science and medical
research funding in the US and look how much data those groups generate.

But it does underline that there is little hope of this system ever living up to
its promised role as a predictive system. My prediction is that for many, many
years it will simply be a forensic record -- one with immense possibilities for
abuse.