Updated at 12:30 pm ET
President Obama said nothing Thursday as the nation was gripped by news that the National Security Agency has been tracking the telephone calls and Internet behavior of millions of Americans.
Obama, who is traveling, had ample opportunity to say something before departing the White House around midday. He made three different speeches – at an education event in North Carolina and two fundraisers in California – but never once alluded to the controversy.
Instead, he left it to a deputy press secretary to issue a carefully worded statement.
Here’s part of it:
The intelligence community is conducting court-authorized intelligence activities pursuant to a public statute with the knowledge and oversight of Congress and the intelligence community in both houses of Congress. There is also extensive oversight by the executive branch, including the Department of Justice and relevant agency counsels and inspectors general, as well as annual and semi-annual reports to Congress as required by law . . .
My final point here: The president welcomes a discussion of the tradeoffs between security and civil liberties.
Obama will have many opportunities to correct the situation today, starting with a speech he is delivering on Obamacare in San Jose, California at 8:50 am Pacific time.
The White House strategy with respect to the various scandals Obama is facing has consistently been to portray the president as an almost disinterested observer who gets his information on the news like everyone else. But with even allies turning on his over these latest revelations, Obama likely will need a more direct response that explains his views on the matter and acknowledged his responsibility.
UPDATE: Obama finally addressed the issue Friday in San Jose, California, defending the surveillance as necessary and noting it is subject to oversight by both Congress and the judiciary.
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257 thoughts on “Obama Silent on Surveillance Controversy”
Libaturd troll trying to stir the racist pot.
President Bush’s black friend, Obama, seems to be getting a lot of attention lately. I know Bush is still president because he gets blamed for everything.
Once again, he’s letting his subordinates take the heat while he’s “doing the business of running the country.” Not a leadership style I’m impressed with.
Obama fails to commemorate D-Day?
I’m now convinced that Americans will NEVER fail to commemorate at least one thing..
.. Obama’s own undoing.
A D-Day that can’t arrive quickly enough.
Departure Day?
I’d settle for a lot words beginning with the letter D. And I’d throw a party too.
I predict an uptick in homesteading in the future and living off the grid.
He never says anything about the malfeasance in his government unless it is to mock and obfuscate.
This is unbelievable. Obama has no respect for Americans or the institutions. Time to throw him out!!!!
Every speech he has ever given shows that.
Gen. James Clapper is Domestic Enemy #1.
What? Clapper’s got a long stand in, maybe near the end of, a very long line that’s headed by Barack Obama, then Valerie Jarrett et. al.
US Senate Candidate Obama and Presidential candidate Obama were very vocal on Bush and the Patriot Act. He was against the intrusions on Americans. He sponsored The Safe Act which was to better secure the privacy of Americans but it failed in committee.
Now he is doing FAR more than Bush ever did with it. THE MOST sweeping search warrant ever requested or signed in US History.
Obama has always been full of narcissistic bullshiit. I’m surprised this punk hasn’t had his azz kicked repeatedly before he got his SS protection. Nothing but a ppussy.
Well that’s you hope and change he spoke of, he hoped he could become a dictator and he changed the nation from a free nation in a nation which keeps tabs on everything you do. soon they’ll know how many sheets of TP you use when you wipe and fine you if you use too many.
I am sure he thinks he is so smart if he does it, it’s OK–and anyhow, Bush started it. I read that people on Twitter (I am not one) were not surprised–well, they think the world is interested in when they make a BLT, so it does not surprise them that the govt would be interested, too. But I resent people giving my rights away–you know, when they say, well, if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about.
until the government takes an innocent statement out of context, or decides you deserve extra scrutiny because you don’t agree with them.
fuck Obama!
Gee, that was productive.
Maybe not, but I bet it will give the data miners a hard on.
Thank God for the British press.
Amen to that, if it where not for them so much more would be hidden from us by the pretend press in the U.S., kind of ironic that the British press has to tell us what our “government” is doing.
Ah, the beauty of affirnative action: Anyone who knows nothing about a job can still be highly successful at dodging all responsibility and denying everything while still getting paid to do just about ziltch.
If he did nothing we’d be better off, it’s what he doing that is the problem.
“The president welcomes a discussion of the tradeoffs between security and civil liberties.”
A “tradeoff” between liberty and tyranny? That sounds like Barry.
Franklin said “Those who sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither.” And that’s what we’ll get, neither.
Okay, I am will to completely trade off security as long as you don’t touch and keep your slimy hands off MY Liberty. This liberty belongs to each and everyone of us, the people of the United States of America and it is not something YOU can decide to trade away, it’s not yours to give away. It belongs to each and every one of us, it is our individual rights, it’s not your property. I know you think everything belongs to you and you should have complete and total control over everything in the world as you run around playing golf and basketball while the economy and everything else goes to hell, I know you think because you occupy the white house you are the dictator of the world but you are not, that is why so many of the leaders of countries laugh at you behind your back and refuse to do as you dictate and have become more emboldened as your threats are just that and not carried through. You are a failure barry and the whole world knows it, I thought you should too.
a back ground check on Obama in2007 he wouldn’t be in the white house today….think about that mr and mrs AMERICA!!!!!!!!
And H!tler never said much about the “Jewish solution”. He always had plausible deniability. H!tler never signed any documents about it, either.
I don’t know why I just had ro sign my name before commenting here, you guys already know who I am, probably been reading my stuff for years!
Just wanted to say that there was once a time where we would stand up and recite the Pledge of Allegience every morning before classes started. That time of National Pride no longer exists in me. Today I am disgusted by the actions of my government and no longer give ANY credibility to the ANTI CONSTITUTIONAL and ANTI AMERICAN President and Congress who bows down to and kisses his ass.
We do not need to throw the protections afforded by our Constitution away in the name of Natiinal Security. It is just a phony shield you cowards hide behind in order to play BIG BROTHER.
YES,I agree we face a threat from RADICAL MUSLIM JIHADISTS and well until Gell freezes over, but there is no need to gather infirmation a on every American who ows and uses a communication device.
I don’t trust you, you have NO credibility you act like the worst Evil Dictator who has ever threatened the world. That is the level of distrust I believe you have taken this country to.
I look so forward to your term ending but probably will never vote again in any election. America has voted itself to lows I hoped to never see in my lifetime. Thankfully at 67 I don’t have all that many more years to see just much further my country can sink.
So disappointed so see the ways you have all conspired to destroy the only document in existence that really made people free.
Hope you all get a big laugh at my pussed off rant and I’m sure you will all want to read and listen in on my conversations.
Don’t let the left defeat you, Dennis. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to leave them a better America than what we were blessed with. Stand up and fight with us. Your vote in every local, state, and national election is crucial to victory.
Having lost sleep I was thinking of the McCarthy hearings could we be
about to have a redux due to the NSA? I’ve always figured they were
watching/listening due to the fact they’re a bunch of paranoid crooks.
Maybe Obama can get some tips today from the Chinese they’re pros
after all at this part of screwing your citizens. Tin foil hat alert day!
The elites believe themselves to be uniquely enlightened, rational, virtuous, and well intentioned. Their self-assuredness—which borders on being a vainglorious psychosis—insulates them in their visions and incubates an absolutist ideological fanaticism. They possess the truth, and the fate of the world rests in their ensuring it prevails. Any view contrary to their vision is based on ignorance, deception, or immorality.
The elites are uniquely capable of identifying and evaluating the facts and realizing truths. Their positions are truth; other positions are stupidity, falsehood, or malevolence. Others lie and distort and allow immoral motives to guide them. The elites are disdainfully righteous and correct. When things don’t go as they’ve planned, it’s due to the forces of evil, or factors they could not control, not any fault of the “self-evident” virtuousness of their vision or judgment.
For more, search “The Myth of American Democracy by Trenton Fervor” on Amazon, or visit the site:
“tfervor. wix. com / mythofamericandemoc” <–(all one word, remove the spaces)
– Cheers
Where are the screaming libs like they did to Bush. Bush was only watching calls going to FOREIGN countries. He was watching patterns NOT LISTENING.
Where is the damn LSM?
AWOL still been missing since 2008.
Mendacious, megalomaniacal, anti-America, anti-Americans, anti-Constitution, Marxist Obama silent on this?
I’m shocked — nay, appalled — that he of incessant, compulsive, wearisome talkativeness can’t find words!
Well, at least he didn’t blame Bush………….yet.
The reason that Barry is “silent” about the spying is that since this is Friday he is traveling and he has not had the opportunity due to his flight schedule to find a newspaper read it. He’ll say something about next week, maybe.
And he’ll claimed to more shocked than anyone and that he found out about it while reading USA today on his flight to his fundraising event. Shouldn’t it be illegal to raise funds once you are no long eligible to run for office
The LIAR in Chief just keeps on going through his term in a daze. Golf, party, campaign, LIE and then start all over again.
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Oversight by the Executive Branch, Intelligence Community, DOJ, Relevant Agency Councils, IG…..with all these folks involved, why don’t I feel any better about this? Could it be most of these are in the news for different scandals they are all involved in? Lets ask the fox to inventory the hens in the hen house for us…..No relevant answers as yet to “Fast & Furious”, Ft. Hood Massacre, Benghazi, IRS Invasion of Privacy, DOJ Invasion of Privacy, Atty. General Eric Witholder lying to several Federal Judges or Magistrates to obtain bogus warrant….all this during the Regime that promised transparency……which if we actually had that, the picture would most likely look a lot worse!
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No such luck that the bas-ard would EVER remain silent!
So if this statement is true, all three branches of the federal government are together on spying on we, the people. Isn’t this what totalitarian governments do?
Yes it is. Rush is right…
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2013/06/07/america_in_the_midst_of_a_coup_d_etat
OBOZO, OBLAMEO OBAMA IS EVIL JUST PLAIN EVIL HIS WHOLE EVIL REGIME SHOULD BE TAKEN TO THE STREETS BY THE U S MARSHALS AND U S MILITARY AND HAVE THEIR BRITCHES AND PANTIES YANKED DOWN AND THEIR A S S ES FLOGGED BLOODY RAW. MY OPINION.
Indications of increasing tyranny:
——————————————
–Erosion of individual rights
–Restrictions on individuals’ abilities to defend themselves
–Control or distortion of public information
–Increasing control of media and public discourse
–Increasing centralization of governmental power
–Expansion or usurpation of undelegated powers
–Strong, government-accessible, identification requirements
–Increasing requirements for licenses, permits, registrations
–Increasing dependency on government
–Control of money and banking
–Circumvention of law or de facto creation of new laws
–Restrictions on internal or external freedom of movement
–Restrictions on free association and free assembly
–Staged or fraudulent elections
–Rules which protect establishment politicians from challengers
–Surveillance, infiltration, or subversion of groups critical of government
–False prosecutions, manipulated trials and juries, or unlawful imprisonments
–National resources diverted to benefit the regime or its supporters
–Propaganda or staged events to manufacture support or damage opponents
For more, search “The Myth of American Democracy by Trenton Fervor” on Amazon, or visit the site:
“tfervor. wix. com / mythofamericandemoc” <–(all one word, remove the spaces)
– Cheers
You forgot increased surveillance of everyone by obtaining access to everyone’s, E-mails, search histories, chat’s, video calls, etc. The all knowing all seeing eye of oppression(government) yet he’s clueless to everything around him.
Look at the results we have now:
– Speaking against gays is “hate speech”.
-Speaking against the president is “racist”.
-Your kid is suspended for talking about guns.
-Wiretaps of all Americans through Prism
-State Run Media
-Control of Healthcare
-Persecutions of those earning wealth
-Manipulation of the stock market with QE
-And in general, propaganda that Big Government is the savior, not the problem. Like Venezuela. Like Cuba. Like Soviet Russia. Like Iran.
Why is he fundraising? Isn’t the campaign over?
for Obama campaigning is never over, it’s the only thing he knows how to do, he can’t lead and doesn’t want to be involved in anything that takes him away from playing basketball or watching sports on TV. This guy is the worst and most incompetent occupant of the White House in the history of this country.
Every administration has a scandal or two but this administration has 6 or more going on at one time and every single one of them is worse than most past President’s scandals combined. This guy makes Nixon look like a choirboy. He needs to go, but first he needs to fire that criminal Holder and appoint a special prosecutor who can try Holder and put him in prison.
“Bush made me do it” – Barry ?
Yeah, he reauthorized the program in 2012, he signed the bill but as always, for Barry, it’s somebody else’s fault.
“The president welcomes a discussion of the tradeoffs between security and civil liberties.”
What President would that be, President Hitler? President Stalin? President Mao?
Evidently every American is the enemy of the federal government; we have become North Korea.
Why is he STILL fund raising??!!!
Because you will win every time you become a crusader, even if it’s against your own policies that created the problem. Notice he never takes responsibility like a true leader does. No, he’s only going to fight injustice, blah blah blah.
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“Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”
-Benjamin Franklin
Just as true now as in the 18th Century. We have allowed our freedoms to be sacrificed to our fears. Repeal the USA PATRIOT Act. It should have never been passed to begin with.
Be careful of what you post here. If it is not favorable to Obama you will be put on a list.
Jerry
I am already on his list and guess what? I don’t care.
It is my opinion, which I have a right to, that he is the worst president our nation has ever had to endure. It is also my constitutional right to say that without fear of retribution from my government. If my government enacts retribution against me for expressing my opinion, protected by constitutional speech, then I don’t have a government that I can agree with and consequently become that government’s adversary in that it no longer protects people’s privacy and rights of speech/thought.
I do not advocate and would never advocate a violent overthrow of our government. But that does not mean that I would support or ratify what that government is doing by that government’s intimidation to bridle my thoughts on a subject by being forced to keep my mouth shut with fascist like tactics by that government or any one of it’s political members.
America, it’s citizens actually, needs to wake up and start electing it’s governing politicians based on what they have done and not what they say they will do or how pretty they look and intelligent they sound as they read their pre-written speeches from cue cards or teleprompters. Should any politician not be able to speak without cues it means he has no real thoughts on the subject and is simply parroting what the political machinery in control wants him to say.
All of us can think on our feet and have something valid to say simply because all of us have opinions, right or wrong. But to keep silent and say you have no knowledge or no comment, at the political level of POTUS or any member of Congress really is inexcusable. All of them should be able to speak intelligently on such things without cue.
Thanks for the info, Keith. It looks like all this Regime will do is list departments and agencies in an effort to say nothing at all.
I am sure Doris (Thanks for the Info) Kearns Goodwin will be on MTP tomorrow on how this is all justified.
As the actor who played Sergent Schultz in the television situation comedy Hogan’s Heros so aptly said it so many times, the response we have become accustomed to hearing from POTUS and the rest of his minions on Capital Hill is, ”
I know nothing, I know nothing.”
It’s called, in political circles, and backed up by the liberal mainstream media that is more concerned with making money than telling us the truthful news, plausible deniability.
We elect these people to their positions to know continually what is going on around them. If they don’t know they are not doing their jobs. If they are not doing their jobs, they need to be replaced with people who will do those jobs and do those jobs correctly.
It cracks me up how much they defend this outright spying on all of us. They are saying that there is oversight from the Congress and judiciary. Good Lord – the US Congress also lies to the citizens and forget about the “judiciary”, they are also very corrupt. FISA is a prime example – we do not need “secret courts” in this country. It is time for the ordinary citizens of the USA to become the “oversight” of the most corrupt and evil gov’t on Planet Earth. Just like Eric Holder – they will end up investigating themselves.
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From a different article on the same topic where the article doesn’t facilitate comments.
“US Press Blames George W. Bush for Obama’s Unprecedented Eavesdropping.”
My comment is, oh really? While I did not like what Bush did by signing the poorly crafted Patriot Act into law, I hold Obama directly responsible for strengthening it and using it against citizens for political gain/intimidation, similar to recent IRS activities, when IF he really wanted to do away with it could do so easily.
Obama is silent because he’s complicit.
Silence is lying. But since the govt now records our every motion and word, it seems that the prez imposter has chosen his words carefully.
The creature in the blackhouse in talking about his security not yours fool……
“The president welcomes a discussion of the tradeoffs between security and civil liberties” – Obama’s press secretary
“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” – Benjamin Franklin,
patriot
With your first quote, if he welcomes such discussions then why doesn’t he publicly have them? Could it be that his party that supports him wouldn’t have a chance in the next election?
But wait, before you answer, there are those in his party and the opposing parties that are just as corrupt and intentionally misleading.
President Present is simply one bad fantasy inflicted on reality.
Wait til the dots get connected and you see that the IRS and NSA are linked with the White House and its political operatives and that no election will ever be safe from these monsters again. We are no better off than North Korea now except our loss of freedom is covered with material plenty.
Mary
We don’t need to wait, the dots are there and have already been connected. It’s called history. The problem is that most Americans are either so ambivalent or willingly ignorant about what’s going on they can’t see the forest for the trees.
Any “judge” that authorized this or anything LIKE this needs removed from the bench and PROSECUTED for violations of the entire NATION’s civil rights. I would think only a few dozen cases would be needed to put him away for life.
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