Answer honestly: Did you think the phone monitoring would end when Obama was elected?

[kentuck]

If you did, you are probably surprised by the recent revelations?

If you did not, it's probably no big deal?

[riqster]

1. No, I figured he'd keep the power Congress stupidly gave the Executive.

Just sorry to see that my cynicism was justified.

[Journeyman]

2. I hoped for change but I did not expect it. . .

And it remains a very big, very disturbing deal.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2957483

[okaawhatever]

3. No, but I always wanted it within legal parameters. There have been changes under Obama. Three month

after inauguration the nsa revealed they have "overcollected" info on American citizens and changed the way the info was collected. Bush did his warrantless wiretapping (not call log gathering) by executive order. That's a whole different animal if you ask me.
Here's what I've been wondering lately. It seems to me I recall the President pretty much being forced to sign a bill that allowed or continued something Bush had done because it was attached to the budget. It was his first year, I think. I remember thinking at the time he wouldn't be able to prosecute Bush without being caught up in it himself. If anyone remembers this help me out. Am I remembering this correctly?

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. nope, why today's news was all but surprising

what is sad is that we need the Guardian to do the job the Ameircan Media should be doing.

[Orrex]

5. Nope, and I assumed it's been going on a lot longer than we think

As technology enables more and more intrusive surveillance, it's obvious that governments and corporations will use it to the fullest extent, regardless of any restrictions imposed by law.

It strikes me as insupportably optimistic to believe that they wouldn't maintain such deep and widespread surveillance at all times.

[Autumn]

6. No. But Obama isn't McCain and he's not Romney.

So there's that.

[MineralMan]

7. No. I thought it would continue and grow.

I think it will continue to grow.

[geek tragedy]

8. I figured it would continue. I've assumed my phone records are

either fed to the government or available at the drop of a hat.

The new normal.

[LondonReign2]

9. Surprised? No. Disappointed? Yes

But I'm getting very used to disappointment with this administration.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. Nope. Not since I read "The Audacity of the Status-Quo".

[whatchamacallit]

36. Ha! Ouch!

[Major Hogwash]

11. Mitch McConnell said the first priority of the GOP was to make sure Obama was not re-elected.

You can see how well that worked.

[EOTE]

12. I did. But I'm not surprised at all.

My opinion of Obama has changed drastically since he was elected. There's no right wing policy that he would continue that would shock me nowadays.

[zipplewrath]

13. He just modifies them

His goal is not to change what they are actually doing, but to wrap it up in a better looking process, all designed to accomplish what they were doing anyway.

[BlueCheese]

14. Yes, I expected things to change. I was naive.

At first, I was surprised they did not.

Now I'm simply continually disappointed.

[CTyankee]

17. Me, too. And I am old. But I guess I still "believe."

I hope there is an explanation for all of this that will help folks like me...

[Sivafae]

15. A girl can dream can't she?

But I didn't think it would be realistic. I was hoping that such behaviour would be done more judiciously.

[mercuryblues]

16. No

and this is why:

Sen. Barack Obama is taking heat from liberal supporters for changing his position on granting phone companies involved in President Bush's domestic spying program retroactive immunity for breaking federal laws.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9982898-7.html

Hell I would be surprised if he ended it.

During the boosh years, when I heard repukes say "well if you aren't doing anything wrong, why are you against it" Now when they say they are against Obama's repackaging of boosh policies I repeat that and tell them to STFU.

They didn't want to hear that a republican would not always be in the WH. Someday a democrat will have the same powers boosh is grabbing. One a toll is in the tool box, it gets taken out and used, hardly ever returned to the store.

[woo me with science]

18. No, trashing the Fourth Amendment is never "no big deal."

Lack of surprise does not equal lack of outrage.

Every American should remain and become more and more outraged about this, the more it continues.

[LeftInTX]

19. No - I did not

I don't like it, but once something starts it's difficult to change. Kinda like trying to close Guantanamo. Or promises about Middle East peace etc. We replaced wars with Middle East drone strikes.

[treestar]

20. No because the government is a huge behemoth

It is not going to change quickly even when the laws change. I would have liked to have seen them repeal some of the Patriot Act, but that wasn't going to happen with the constant filibustering and the short period where there were 60 non-Republican Senators.

We have to keep at these things. They don't go away overnight or even over a year or two.

The 2010 elections put us way behind again.

[TheKentuckian]

21. Yeah, I was stupid but then if I wasn't I wouldn't have sacrificed, busted my ass,

and did everything I could to get the man elected in the first place. In fact, I would have been so cynical that I would have written in Mickey Mouse and moved on.

Won't catch me slipping again.

[LWolf]

22. I didn't think

much would change after Obama was elected in '08, especially after he started appointing people to his cabinet, despite his campaign slogan.

I think it's a big deal, as I've thought about other issues and events his administration has been responsible for.

[YeahSureRight]

23. I don’t get why everyone is so upset, Bush it did too and many all over the internets were just sooo

I don’t get why everyone is so upset, Bush did it too and many all over the internets were just soooooo convinced that a Dem Pres well would not use the power and many more all over the internets said BS but I digress and won’t go into to an I told you so rant.

Some really pay attention to what is going on and some don’t, perhaps this will finally be a wake up call to many.

What I did many years ago was switch to disposable phone paid for with cash and get a new phone frequently as do most of my friends now. Totally anonymous.

You want privacy ya now got to play the game.

[East Coast Pirate]

24. Yes

[zappaman]

25. No, but plenty here must have since there is quite a kerfunkle! n/t

[warrior1]

26. I never thought they had stopped

So I guess if he had stopped and a we had another terror attack, then what?

There are no easy answers. I still prefer President Obama to any damn republican.

[DevonRex]

27. No and this is old news anyway.

I guess what surprises me is that people are shocked since we've discussed this very issue here before. What exactly do they think the FISA extension was for? And what did they think Wyden and Udall were upset about? (Or claimed to be upset about, anyway)

There was a post last night that was pretty good. Can't remember who wrote it. But I'll repeat something it said. Hasn't anyone ever read The Puzzle Palace?

If you have not read it then you should.

[limpyhobbler]

28. I actually thought it might stop when Obama got elected.

Hope and Change, Yes we Can, etc.

I worked really hard for Obama's election.
He is literally the biggest disappointment of my life and I'm sincerely pissed off.

[MNBrewer]

29. Yes.

[leeroysphitz]

30. For a minute there yeah I kinda did.

[Warpy]

31. I knew they'd keep doing it no matter what Obama wanted

I have a feeling it's only an issue now because they found something they want to use.

Remember, there are a few entrenched bureaucracies packed with rotten assholes from the previous administrations who will simply do what they want to do, constitution be damned.

[kentuck]

32. Bingo!

I think you have hit the target, Warpy.

There is a certain group-think in Washington that hangs on from one Administration to the next. With people like Bob Gates, David Petraeus, Tim Geithner, and others, they presented a picture to the President and his Cabinet that certain "policies" had to be continued for "national security" reasons. It would take a strong President to go against such a strong tide. Obama was not that strong. He took the advice of the "experts", in military and economic issues. He had the wrong Cabinet behind him to make the changes that needed to be made. That is why we are hearing these stories today, in my opinion.

[uponit7771]

35. +1

[hootinholler]

33. There's a lot of stuffs I thought would end

Some stuffs have ended, for that credit is due. Unfortunately some of the most bothersome stuffs haven't ended. The phone slurp is one of them.

I will admit I wasn't surprised by it being done, I was more surprised by it being reported. It's always been a big deal to me.

[CrazyJudy]

34. no.. but kicking Bush was more fun then defending the President...

Its getting to be a full time job these days....

[whatchamacallit]

37. Yes, until it became clear early on there would be no accountability for the Bush abuses

When he started parroting 9/11 commission "look forward, not behind" style rhetoric, I knew we'd been had.

[AceWheeler]

38. Not surprised...

...think Obama felt an obligation to continue protecting the country, in spite of all the GOP rant about how "weak" he is. Thought the same about the drones. Don't especially approve of either, but think we need to look long and hard at what we do to protect ourselves and what possible backlash it can provoke.