Alan Grayson op-ed: Congressional oversight of NSA is a joke. I should know, I'm in Congress.

[jct74]

Congressional oversight of the NSA is a joke. I should know, I'm in Congress
I've learned far more about government spying on citizens from the media than I have from official intelligence briefings

by Alan Grayson
Friday 25 October 2013 07.45 EDT

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2013/9/26/1380221338632/dbdd6fc4-0c5e-45a9-b3b0-544f00a1d479-460x276.jpeg


In the 1970s, Congressman Otis Pike of New York chaired a special congressional committee to investigate abuses by the American so-called "intelligence community" – the spies. After the investigation, Pike commented:


It took this investigation to convince me that I had always been told lies, to make me realize that I was tired of being told lies.

I'm tired of the spies telling lies, too.

Pike's investigation initiated one of the first congressional oversight debates for the vast and hidden collective of espionage agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the National Security Agency (NSA). Before the Pike Commission, Congress was kept in the dark about them – a tactic designed to thwart congressional deterrence of the sometimes illegal and often shocking activities carried out by the "intelligence community". Today, we are seeing a repeat of this professional voyeurism by our nation's spies, on an unprecedented and pervasive scale.

Recently, the US House of Representatives voted on an amendment – offered by Representatives Justin Amash and John Conyers – that would have curbed the NSA's omnipresent and inescapable tactics. Despite furious lobbying by the intelligence industrial complex and its allies, and four hours of frantic and overwrought briefings by the NSA's General Keith Alexander, 205 of 422 Representatives voted for the amendment.

Though the amendment barely failed, the vote signaled a clear message to the NSA: we do not trust you. The vote also conveyed another, more subtle message: members of Congress do not trust that the House Intelligence Committee is providing the necessary oversight. On the contrary, "oversight" has become "overlook".

Despite being a member of Congress possessing security clearance, I've learned far more about government spying on me and my fellow citizens from reading media reports than I have from "intelligence" briefings. If the vote on the Amash-Conyers amendment is any indication, my colleagues feel the same way. In fact, one long-serving conservative Republican told me that he doesn't attend such briefings anymore, because, "they always lie".

...

read more:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/25/nsa-no-congress-oversight?CMP=twt_gu

[HOLLYWOOD]

ZERO reporting by the Fascist-Corporatist Propaganda News agencies within the US.

CNN Nope
ABC Nope
FOX Nope
CBS Nope
PBS Nope
npr Nope
WSJ Nope
NYT Nope
WaPo Nope
WashTimes Nope
NBC/MSNBC Nope

[jmdrake]

Let's see. In one breath Alan Grayson write this:

Recently, the US House of Representatives voted on an amendment – offered by Representatives Justin Amash and John Conyers – that would have curbed the NSA's omnipresent and inescapable tactics. Despite furious lobbying by the intelligence industrial complex and its allies, and four hours of frantic and overwrought briefings by the NSA's General Keith Alexander, 205 of 422 Representatives voted for the amendment.

Then in the next breath he compares the tea party to the KKK? Thank you for the help Alan, but you come across as slime. Dennis Kucinich was at least congenial with the people he disagreed with most of the time but agreed with on civil liberties and foreign policy.

[ctiger2]

Grayson's still a fascist wealth redistributing turd.

[Brett85]

I don't understand how this guy can have such strong libertarian leanings on issues like this, but then he just absolutely hates anyone who believes in limited government and compares them to the KKK. That doesn't make a lot of sense.

[TaftFan]

I guarantee he would monitor the Tea Party if he were President.

[twomp]

Let's see. In one breath Alan Grayson write this:

Recently, the US House of Representatives voted on an amendment – offered by Representatives Justin Amash and John Conyers – that would have curbed the NSA's omnipresent and inescapable tactics. Despite furious lobbying by the intelligence industrial complex and its allies, and four hours of frantic and overwrought briefings by the NSA's General Keith Alexander, 205 of 422 Representatives voted for the amendment.

Then in the next breath he compares the tea party to the KKK? Thank you for the help Alan, but you come across as slime. Dennis Kucinich was at least congenial with the people he disagreed with most of the time but agreed with on civil liberties and foreign policy.

LOL the hypocrisy. You obviously are very "congenial" with the people you disagree with yourself lol.

[Zippyjuan]

Grayson isn't on any of the intelligence committees so he won't know for sure what oversight is happening or not happening.

http://grayson.house.gov/legislation/committees-and-caucuses

Alan serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. For Foreign Affairs, Alan serves on two subcommittees: Western Hemisphere and the Middle East and North Africa. For Science, Space, and Technology, he serves on the Energy and Environment Subcommittees.

[Elias Graves]

Grayson. Lol.

[HOLLYWOOD]

General Keith Alexander, DNI James Clapper and company, didn't have any problem sharing classified TS/SCI/REL information with ANY member in the House of Representatives the 48 hours prior to voting on Rep. Justin Amash & John Conyer's (D/R-MI) bill, to defund the surveillance programs at the National Security Agency. Again, it's the double standards of Federal government agencies, using excuses ONLY when it benefits THEIR agenda/M.O., objectives. When information can be used to expose the; fraud, lies, perjury, law breaking unconstitutional operations, then there's restrictions or the "State Secrets Privileges are invoked.
Grayson isn't on any of the intelligence committees so he won't know for sure what oversight is happening or not happening.

http://grayson.house.gov/legislation/committees-and-caucuses

[specsaregood]

I don't understand how this guy can have such strong libertarian leanings on issues like this, but then he just absolutely hates anyone who believes in limited government and compares them to the KKK. That doesn't make a lot of sense.

I think you are mistaking "libertarian leanings" for somebody who is just mad it isn't him with the power. Its the same with him in regards to the federal reserve. He isn't upset about the power itself; he just wants to be the one wielding it.

[Champ]

Grayson is an ally for our cause.

I'm sorry he hates Republicans and hates the Tea Party, etc, but he has advanced many civil liberties issues for us, including being a great ally in the fight to End the Fed with Ron Paul. He torched Bernanke harder than anyone else that ever got a chance to question him while he was the chair of the Fed. He has been great so far in the anti-NSA movement and privacy concerns that we are all having and has made countless appearances protesting this and destroying mainstream media propaganda spewing interviewers.

If you want to look at only his political party and what he says about other political parties, then yes, it is incredibly easy to dismiss him and value nothing he says. If you appreciate people that fight things that go beyond political party issues, then it is equally easy to appreciate what he is doing for our civil liberties.

I'm probably in the minority here, but we are going to need people like this, that are OUTSIDE the libertarian/constitutional republican spectrum, that help us advance our causes. We will disagree with them on a thousand political issues, but there are going to be one or two huge issues that they agree with us on and we need to take advantage of that when we get it.

[VoluntaryAmerican]

Grayson isn't on any of the intelligence committees so he won't know for sure what oversight is happening or not happening.

http://grayson.house.gov/legislation/committees-and-caucuses

And you're not in Congress so you don't know for sure what oversight is happening or not happening.

[Zippyjuan]

Didn't claim I did. None of us do.

[VoluntaryAmerican]

Didn't claim I did. None of us do.

Maybe if you read the article you would have saw that Grayson is not on the committee. That's what he is bitching about. Why do you post useless bullshit that attempts to detract from nearly every thread you are in?

[William R]

Alan Grayson is a punk and a disgrace.

[specsaregood]

Grayson is an ally for our cause.

I'm sorry he hates Republicans and hates the Tea Party, etc, but he has advanced many civil liberties issues for us, including being a great ally in the fight to End the Fed with Ron Paul. He torched Bernanke harder than anyone else that ever got a chance to question him while he was the chair of the Fed. He has been great so far in the anti-NSA movement and privacy concerns that we are all having and has made countless appearances protesting this and destroying mainstream media propaganda spewing interviewers.

If you want to look at only his political party and what he says about other political parties, then yes, it is incredibly easy to dismiss him and value nothing he says. If you appreciate people that fight things that go beyond political party issues, then it is equally easy to appreciate what he is doing for our civil liberties.

I'm probably in the minority here, but we are going to need people like this, that are OUTSIDE the libertarian/constitutional republican spectrum, that help us advance our causes. We will disagree with them on a thousand political issues, but there are going to be one or two huge issues that they agree with us on and we need to take advantage of that when we get it.

It seems to me, you are the first one to mention his political party in this thread. Everybody else has been referring to his actions, his words and his behavior; much of which we find abhorrent. And nobody has even yet mentioned his disgusting political ad he ran 1 term back when he lost reelection.

[Cleaner44]

Didn't claim I did. None of us do.

I am not on the committee either, but I can confidently tell you that there is no meaningful oversight. Do you disagree?

[Zippyjuan]

Maybe if you read the article you would have saw that Grayson is not on the committee. That's what he is bitching about. Why do you post useless bullshit that attempts to detract from nearly every thread you are in?

Which confirms what I said. Thank you.

[Zippyjuan]

I am not on the committee either, but I can confidently tell you that there is no meaningful oversight. Do you disagree?

I did not say there is or isn't meaningful oversight. But you seem to have inside information. Perhaps you can share.

[NewRightLibertarian]

Let's see. In one breath Alan Grayson write this:

Recently, the US House of Representatives voted on an amendment – offered by Representatives Justin Amash and John Conyers – that would have curbed the NSA's omnipresent and inescapable tactics. Despite furious lobbying by the intelligence industrial complex and its allies, and four hours of frantic and overwrought briefings by the NSA's General Keith Alexander, 205 of 422 Representatives voted for the amendment.

Then in the next breath he compares the tea party to the KKK? Thank you for the help Alan, but you come across as slime. Dennis Kucinich was at least congenial with the people he disagreed with most of the time but agreed with on civil liberties and foreign policy.

Grayson is slime, but he comes out attacking the feds a great deal. Would rather have more assholes like this in the Dem Party than assholes like Pelosi and Rangel

[angelatc]

Let's see. In one breath Alan Grayson write this:

Recently, the US House of Representatives voted on an amendment – offered by Representatives Justin Amash and John Conyers – that would have curbed the NSA's omnipresent and inescapable tactics. Despite furious lobbying by the intelligence industrial complex and its allies, and four hours of frantic and overwrought briefings by the NSA's General Keith Alexander, 205 of 422 Representatives voted for the amendment.

Then in the next breath he compares the tea party to the KKK? Thank you for the help Alan, but you come across as slime. Dennis Kucinich was at least congenial with the people he disagreed with most of the time but agreed with on civil liberties and foreign policy.


I know. It baffles me too. How could someone be like that?












On second thought, maybe I COULD run for office!

[angelatc]

Maybe if you read the article you would have saw that Grayson is not on the committee. That's what he is bitching about. Why do you post useless bullshit that attempts to detract from nearly every thread you are in?
ress

I think he's bitching because he wasn't allowed to view some documents that other Congressmen were allowed to view.

[jmdrake]

LOL the hypocrisy. You obviously are very "congenial" with the people you disagree with yourself lol.

I love you too. :rolleyes: Remind me when I run for public office to vilify you in my fundraising mails (whoever the hell you are).

[jmdrake]

Grayson isn't on any of the intelligence committees so he won't know for sure what oversight is happening or not happening.

http://grayson.house.gov/legislation/committees-and-caucuses
Alan serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. For Foreign Affairs, Alan serves on two subcommittees: Western Hemisphere and the Middle East and North Africa. For Science, Space, and Technology, he serves on the Energy and Environment Subcommittees.


The revelations that the NSA is spying on foreign allies comes under the Foreign Affairs committee wouldn't you think?

[jmdrake]

Oh I'm all for allies. That's why I mentioned Kucinich (who sadly is out of congress). And it's the "everyone who disagrees with Obama is a racist" attitude that has helped fuel some of the more recent attacks on civil liberties. Methinks Grayson doesn't give a rip about the IRS spying on Obama political opponents. I could be wrong.


Grayson is an ally for our cause.

I'm sorry he hates Republicans and hates the Tea Party, etc, but he has advanced many civil liberties issues for us, including being a great ally in the fight to End the Fed with Ron Paul. He torched Bernanke harder than anyone else that ever got a chance to question him while he was the chair of the Fed. He has been great so far in the anti-NSA movement and privacy concerns that we are all having and has made countless appearances protesting this and destroying mainstream media propaganda spewing interviewers.

If you want to look at only his political party and what he says about other political parties, then yes, it is incredibly easy to dismiss him and value nothing he says. If you appreciate people that fight things that go beyond political party issues, then it is equally easy to appreciate what he is doing for our civil liberties.

I'm probably in the minority here, but we are going to need people like this, that are OUTSIDE the libertarian/constitutional republican spectrum, that help us advance our causes. We will disagree with them on a thousand political issues, but there are going to be one or two huge issues that they agree with us on and we need to take advantage of that when we get it.

[GunnyFreedom]

Grayson's still a fascist wealth redistributing turd.

You are a lot nicer than I can be wrt this POS.

[GunnyFreedom]

Grayson is an ally for our cause.

I'm sorry he hates Republicans and hates the Tea Party, etc, but he has advanced many civil liberties issues for us, including being a great ally in the fight to End the Fed with Ron Paul. He torched Bernanke harder than anyone else that ever got a chance to question him while he was the chair of the Fed. He has been great so far in the anti-NSA movement and privacy concerns that we are all having and has made countless appearances protesting this and destroying mainstream media propaganda spewing interviewers.

If you want to look at only his political party and what he says about other political parties, then yes, it is incredibly easy to dismiss him and value nothing he says. If you appreciate people that fight things that go beyond political party issues, then it is equally easy to appreciate what he is doing for our civil liberties.

I'm probably in the minority here, but we are going to need people like this, that are OUTSIDE the libertarian/constitutional republican spectrum, that help us advance our causes. We will disagree with them on a thousand political issues, but there are going to be one or two huge issues that they agree with us on and we need to take advantage of that when we get it.

Lies and sophistry, even when ostensibly on the same side, are no ally. This jackass could agree with us 100% and I'd still hate him as much as I do now. Integrity matters. Grayson has none.

[jmdrake]

Lies and sophistry, even when ostensibly on the same side, are no ally. This jackass could agree with us 100% and I'd still hate him as much as I do now. Integrity matters. Grayson has none.

Tell us what you really think Gunny! I was a supporter of Grayson until he started stabbing small government types in the back for political gain. Screw him.

[GunnyFreedom]

Tell us what you really think Gunny! I was a supporter of Grayson until he started stabbing small government types in the back for political gain. Screw him.

I started liking him at first, but the whole "Republican healthcare plan: die quickly" turned me off hard. Not in defense of Republicans, mind you, but in the vehement hatred of lies and sophistry. The Republicans have been kicking around healthcare ideas for decades, most of them bad ones. Nixon's HMO Act of 1973 (really bad), Bush's Medicare Part D (bad), HSA's (pretty good), and purchasing coverage across state lines (fair to middlin) as just a few brief examples. Point is Grayson is a liar, and I wouldn't embrace his disintegretous sophistry even if all of his issues were 100% with us. It's not always about whether they are on the same side in a given fight.