Guess Which Political Party Just Condemned the NSA’s Mass Surveillance Program

[Coyotl]

Steven Hsieh
Guess Which Political Party Just Condemned the NSA’s Mass Surveillance Program
Steven Hsieh on January 24, 2014 - 2:29 PM ET - http://www.thenation.com/blog/178083/guess-which-political-party-just-condemned-nsas-mass-surveillance-program

The Republican National Committee passed a resolution renouncing the National Security Agency’s mass data collection programs, disclosed by whistleblower Edward Snowden last year.

The “Resolution To Renounce The National Security Agency’s Surveillance Program”, which reportedly passed by an “overwhelming majority” during the party's annual winter meeting Friday, calls for an investigation into the NSA’s “dragnet” surveillance program and for the creation of a committee to make "specific recommendations for legal and regulatory reform to end unconstitutional surveillance."

The RNC also pushed for an amendment to Section 215 of the Patriot Act to "make it clear that blanket surveillance of the Internet activity, phone records and correspondence — electronic, physical, and otherwise — of any person residing in the US is prohibited by law." .................

[Xithras]

1. The old "Stopped Clock" meme springs to mind.

They were bound to get something right sooner or later.

[kelliekat44]

15. They don't really mean it but it's a good jab at the Obama administration even though the GOP

is mainly responsible for NSA and what it has become.

[sabrina 1]

2. Great. They join Bernie Sanders, Ron Wyden, Udall, every Liberal group in the country, the ACLU and

a majority of the American People. Hopefully the DNC will be next and we can finally get rid of these grotesque Bush/Cheney policies.

The RNC were too afraid to do this while Bush occupied the WH. The DNC should not imitate their cowardice and do what is right.

[abelenkpe]

4. Exactly nt

[sharp_stick]

5. They weren't afraid to do it

when shrub was President, they fully supported it when he did it.

I'll bet anything that the second some GOP toerag becomes President again these same assholes will once again fully support it.

[sabrina 1]

7. Good, then let's move quickly and take advantage of them now. That, I have learned, is how it all

works. It's NOT about priniciples, I have been told, it is about WINNING. The people, like me, were naive, appealing to honor, and integrity etc. Now we know how the game is played and we are no longer naive.

They want to play politics, who cares? But this game means we can pick up the ball and finally get done what we worked so hard to do in 2008. AGREE WITH THEM, and force them to pass a bill NOW.

Chess, remember?

[JaneyVee]

3. At a winter meeting? Bullshit. I don't trust a single one of them.

[spin]

6. In my opinion the Democratic Party should also join the effort. ...

Both parties should sit down together and forget their political differences for once in order to impose strict regulations on the collection of data to protect our democracy.

We must all realize that someday another President like Richard Nixon could be sitting in the White House or another J. Edgar Hoover type could end up running the FBI. They could misuse the metadata collected by the NSA to squash any and all opposition to their policies.

Properly controlled, metadata can possibly prevent another terrorist attack or used to combat drug cartel activities in our nation. This data is a powerful tool that can be used for good but also can be a weapon that can be misused to allow one individual or a small number of people to run our nation.

Still Congress can pass stiff controls but they will be just words on paper unless strictly enforced and those who violate the rules strongly punished.

It's my honest opinion that the freedoms we currently enjoy and our entire system of government is at stake. If we lose all privacy, we will find ourselves under the thumb of a Big Brother and have to be very careful what we say, who we call or what we post here on DU.

If that happens, the terrorists will have won as our nation will no longer be a beacon of freedom to the world.

[sabrina 1]

8. As Bernie said, Meta Data collection violates the 4th Amendment of the Constitution and has to end.

In 12 years it has done nothing other than probably provide a means of collecting material for Corporations, and the more sinister result, blackmail material.

We have a Constitution which every one of them swore to defend and protect. They are not doing so. We have the Repubs where we want them. This was THEIR idea, Bush/Cheney remember? We opposed it then and they won. Now they are maybe realizing that when they are not in power, it can adversely affect them. Now is the time to make a great chess move for the Dems assuming the were sincere when THEY opposed it. Get a bill ready, get rid of these grotesque Bush policies, and then maneuver them into the next checkmate. Get rid of Homeland Security and the Patriot Act while we have this great advantage over them. I expect to see Dems do what they promised now, their excuse was always 'but the Republicans won't let us'. Well, now they will. Let's do it.

[spin]

11. It might help if President Obama lived up to his campaign promises. ...

FRI JAN 10, 2014 AT 06:12 AM PST
Why Hasn't Obama Reined in NSA?
by Bob Burnett

***snip***

As a presidential candidate, Obama’s attitude appeared to shift. In 2007, Obama criticized Bush, "This administration acts like violating civil liberties is the way to enhance civil liberties. It is not. There are no shortcuts to protecting America." In an August 2007, campaign speech Obama criticized, “unchecked presidential power” and vowed a change in national security policy: “that means no more illegal wiretapping of American citizens, no more national-security letters to spy on citizens who are not suspected of a crime… [and] no more ignoring the law when it is inconvenient.”
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/10/1268611/-Why-Hasn-t-Obama-Reined-in-NSA#

It looks like Obama could get considerable bipartisan support to overhaul the Patriot Act if he wished and the changes would be welcomed by many worried citizens in our nation. If he was successful in getting the Republicans and Democrats to work together for a change, it might also help the chances of a good reform to our immigration law passing. Both measures would add considerably to his legacy.

There is absolutely no doubt that Obama is a great campaigner but I suspect the fact that he came from a state largely under total control by Democrats didn't teach him much about having to deal with Republicans. It takes great leadership skills for a President to get his agenda passed through Congress when even the members of your party may oppose your ideas. It is a lot like herding cats.

Leadership is a difficult skill to master but Obama still has three years left to insure that in the future his Presidency will highly regarded by historians. A few small steps now might make progress on many issues possible in the future. Perhaps we could have an honest debate over gun control in our nation and pass some much needed minor improvements to our current national gun laws. A few compromises might generate some bipartisan support for correcting the inevitable problems that a major new program like the ACA will generate and help insure its success.

I voted for Obama and seriously felt he would be one of our few truly great Presidents. I still have a lot of hope but I feel that blaming his difficulties on the Tea Party, Republicans and Fox News does little or nothing to resolve our nation's problems. It does fire up the base of the Democratic Party but it alienates members of the Republican Party and probably does nothing to impress independent voters who dislike all the endless bickering between the two major problems and merely want to see some action.

President Obama has stated that he has a pen and a telephone and will use executive orders to bypass Congress when he can. The third branch of the government may not agree with this approach.

I feel sitting down with both parties and using his bully pulpit to gain support from American citizens would be a far better and more productive approach. As distasteful as it may be, if it produces results it will be worth it.

[sabrina 1]

16. I couldn't agree more. The excuse always was 'the Republicans won't let him'. Well, apparently that

has changed and now we'll see just how sincere he was. Someone like FDR or LBJ eg, would grab this opportunity and push something through Congress before anyone had time to change their minds. AND it's the popular thing to do. A majority of Americans are now opposed to these anti-Constitutional policies.

However, I won't hold my breath. But Dems in Congress could push him now, it would look very bad for the WH of both parties were to finally do what is right for the country and if that were to happen, I believe he would have no choice.

[Fumesucker]

9. If they come out for legalizing pot the Democrats had best watch out

We all know the Republicans and their entire camp can do a 180 pivot on a dime and give nine cents change.

I'm to the point now where I think it would be ironic justice if the Republicans take both the NSA issue and legalization away from the Democrats and leave them sucking wind.

[msanthrope]

10. Good...let's see if they really mean it and refuse to.reauthorize 215. nt

[struggle4progress]

13. I think I'll call my useless PoS GoP representative first thing Monday to demand that!

[struggle4progress]

12. Ain't them the same guys and gals what first started the massive metadata collection back in 2001

and then got the FISC to approve the sweeping interpretation of section 215 back in 2006?

[Coyotl]

17. The same guys who needed a retroactive law to stay out of jail for illegal spying!

[Cha]

20. they want to forget that shit.. just like so many forget

that it didn't start with President Obama.

Obama bad Putin good

[struggle4progress]

21. I'm afraid I think they're more cynical than that: I really expect the GOP to attempt to split

voters away from the Dems in 2014 and 2016, by howling and growling about this issue -- without having the slightest intent of doing anything about it

[Cha]

22. Oh, yeah.. they're pulling out all the stops.. and all they have to do

is lie their damn heads off and the sheep will follow.

I saw on Rachel tonight where the gop are starting their repug primary in Feb and the convention will be in June so that gives the best liar more time in a general election campaign.

It does make sense not to have the candidate chosen so close to the actual election in Nov. Wonder if the Dems will want to do that too?

As Rachel was pointing out.. it gives the public less time to see what they're really about.. knowing the repubs though they'll find someway to screw themselves.

[baldguy]

14. Right - they'd like to get rid of the NSA entirely.

Turn all the federal govts intel work over to some private contractor. Some unaccountable private contract with no oversight from Congress.

[struggle4progress]

18. That, I think, is a very cogent response to the news

[DemocraticWing]

19. They want the CIA to do it instead.

Everybody knows that the Washington crowd all have favorite spy agencies.