Paul takes credit for NSA metadata changes
In an interview after Obama announced the change on Tuesday, Paul was asked on “Fox and Friends" if it would make him happy for phone companies, not the government, to retain the metadata.
“Well, you know, I don't want to take all the credit for ending this, but I think our lawsuit had something to do with bringing the president to the table,” Paul said. In February, Paul filed a lawsuit against Obama and the leaders of U.S. intelligence agencies, charging that the bulk collection program is unconstitutional.
SNIP
Obama called on Congress Tuesday to institute the proposed changes, but Paul said he doesn't think Obama needs congressional authority.
“The interesting thing is he unilaterally instituted this program without congressional authority,” he said. “I think he could unilaterally stop the program if he were serious about it."
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/201664-sen-paul-takes-credit-for-nsa-metadata-program-changes#ixzz2x0yAVjqq
Two things Paul has dead wrong here. First, his lawsuit probably had zero effect on Obama's decision. Several other groups have filed suit with better standing and attorneys. I think it became obvious that Paul's goal was political theatrics and not privacy the moment he kicked Reagan administration attorney Bruce Fein off the suit in favor of Ken Cuccinelli and dumped Democratic Senator Mark Udall for Freedomworks. Oh, and when Freedomworks joined the suit they also added Obama as defendant. Never mind that Bruce Fein had done most of the work for the suit (remember the plagiarizing claim reported last month?).
The second thing Rand Paul got wrong is Obama's "institution of the program". Metadata collection was authorized in 1981 under Reagan Executive Order 12333. I think his intent there is twofold. One to convince the viewers that the program is the sole creation of Obama and the second is to avoid having Congress vote on it. The Republicans will have a divide among their voter base of the pro-National security types and the pro-privacy types. More importantly, a Congressional law won't allow future Republican Presidents to change the orders back without public scrutiny.
Story on the 1981 Executive Order
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/11/21/209167/most-of-nsas-data-collection-authorized.html
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