Back in 2007 Barack Obama had some very harsh words for president Bush (Who was having his own NSA scandal at the time) stating the following:
"This Administration also puts forward a false choice between the liberties we cherish and the security we demand… That means no more illegal wire-tapping 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. And it is not what is necessary to defeat the terrorists… 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."
Today Obama changed his tune, as is clear in this more recent quote:
Barack Obama: "I think it’s important to understand that you can’t have 100 percent security and then have 100 percent privacy and zero inconvenience. We’re going to have to make some choices as a society."
The CNN/ORC International survey, released Monday, finds that Obama's approval rating has fallen eight points to 45 percent, the lowest level in more than 18 months. There is no doubt that this drop in popularity has been triggered my the recent scandals surrounding the Obama administration. And with Edward Snowden, the man responsible for leaking the information that has brought the NSA scandal into the limelight now being called a hero by many Americans, it is unlikely that people will approve of the way he is being treated.
Speaker Of The House John Boehner has called Edward Snowden a "traitor", which does not sit well with those who are rallying in his defense.
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham has stated- "I hope we follow Mr. Snowden to the ends of the Earth to bring him to justice."
U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell: "Given the scope of these programs, it’s understandable that many would be concerned about issues related to privacy. But what’s difficult to understand is the motivation of somebody who intentionally would seek to warn the nation’s enemies of lawful programs created to protect the American people. And I hope that he is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
And is seems U.S. Representative Peter King thinks reporters don't have the right to cover stories on the NSA, stating: "There is an obligation both moral, but also legal, I believe, against a reporter disclosing something which would so severely compromise national security."
And that isn't the worst of it. Director Of National Intelligence James Clapper had a very dodgy, and suspicious answer when he was asked about why he lied about the NSA spying in front of Congress: "I responded in what I thought was the most truthful, or least untruthful manner"
What's worse, according to National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden: "The president has full faith in director Clapper and his leadership of the intelligence community" Something we should all be concerned about.
[Obama on NSA scandal]
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