Obama: 'This Administration Acts Like Violating Civil Liberties Is The Way To Enhance Our Security'

[SamuelB]

Who said it?

This Administration also puts forward a false choice between the liberties we cherish and the security we demand. I will provide our intelligence and law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to track and take out the terrorists without undermining our Constitution and our freedom.

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. No more tracking citizens who do nothing more than protest a misguided war. No more ignoring the law when it is inconvenient.

That is not who we are. It's not what is necessary to defeat the terrorists. The FISA court works. The separation of powers works.

Our constitution works. We will again set an example for the world that the law is not subject to the whims of stubborn rulers and that justice is not arbitrary.

This administration acts like violating civil liberties is the way to enhance our security. It is not.

There are no shortcuts to protecting America.

- August, 2007

[SamKnause]

1. Security

Where did the man in the video disappear to ?

Is the man in the White House a clone ?

Is the man merely an actor playing a part ?

Are dark forces controlling the man in the video.

Has the video been altered ?

I thought the man in the video was a wise choice.

He spoke forcefully about the issues I cared about.

He disappeared after the election.

Will the real Barrack Obama please stand up !!!!

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. uhh.......ok, I vote for "merely an actor playing a part "?

Altho a Stepford President a la Disney could also be a choice.

[DeSwiss]

8. Number 4. :-/

[carolinayellowdog]

2. this man speaks for me

where did he go?

[jjewell]

3. Who the hell was that?!!! ....

He should be President!

[L0oniX]

4. I could swear I voted for this guy. There must have been a coup.

[Dragonfli]

5. Another hater bagger with ODS lecturing us

That guy just doesn't understand, Obama knows what's best.

[Jack Rabbit]

7. Now, that's the guy I voted for twice.

Sure wish he were president.

[truebluegreen]

18. +100 nt

[DeSwiss]

9. K&R

[DJ13]

10. I think I saw that guy's picture on the side of a milk carton

[L0oniX]

11. +1 ...for the amber alert.

[cantbeserious]

12. When The People Fear Their Government, There Is Tyranny; ...

When the Government fears the people, There is Liberty.

Thomas Jefferson

[SleeplessinSoCal]

13. The NSA is 60 years old.

It's bigger than we - including Obama - ever imagined. 40,000 employees not including contractors. Add the CIA 20,000 plus unlimited classified employees - and the FBI's 36,000 employees, AND all the contracted employees around the world by our "security" agencies, and how do you manage them and do anything else?

Really? How do you?

[sulphurdunn]

15. The NSA is an executive branch agency.

Those who work there are bound by the Constitution and the oaths they take to do what the President tells them to do. The President could start by firing some people. If he can do it at the IRS, he can do it at the NSA.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

19. Totally different situation from IRS.

Rightly or wrongly, the NSA is doing its job as defined by Congress. The IRS went rogue. At least this is what I've determined to date.

[sulphurdunn]

22. If a government employee

does her job, and if that job means skepticism of conservatives gaming the system, you've gone rogue. The IRS scandal merely reinforces the appearance that when right wingers squeal, Democrats go bi-partisan. The only scandal is how quickly the President sold out the IRS leadership for investigating laughable teabagger applications for tax exempt status and how quickly he crawled to the NSA altar to bless its massive domestic spying operations.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

14. He delivers his lines as well as Reagan.

Very sincere like.

[burnodo]

16. That was candidate Obama

As President he has no power to make the changes he aspired to.

[xiamiam]

20. he signed the ndaa on new years eve..he is sneaky and has a kill list

aspiring to change is one thing.. ramping up the use of drones, and surveillance and the war on whistleblowers among a host of other things is not my idea of not making the changes one aspired to.. even gwb didn't have a kill list

[truebluegreen]

17. I'd guess that the key weasely word is "illegal"

We've interpreted laws to make it legal so it's all good now.

The fact that our interpretations and the law and everything else is secret so no one can challenge it in court is just happenstance. Or coincidence. Or enemy action! Whatever.

[limpyhobbler]

21. FISA court doesn't seem to work.

They approved the government building an indexed library of all our private communications. That's messed up.

[burnodo]

23. kick