Rand Paul: Our DNI Lied, Snowden Told the Truth

[jct74]

Rand Paul: Our DNI Lied, Snowden Told the Truth

By Eliana Johnson
June 23, 2013 9:53 AM




Reacting to the news that NSA leaker Edward Snowden has reportedly fled Hong Kong for Moscow, Kentucky senator and 2016 presidential hopeful Rand Paul on Sunday urged Americans to suspend judgment on Snowden, calling him a truthteller who came forward to correct the lies of the Obama administration’s lies for the American people.

“I do think that when history looks at this, they are going to contrast the behavior James Clapper, our national intelligence director, with Edward Snowden,” Paul told CNN’s Candy Crowley. “Mr. Clapper lied in Congress, in defiance of the law, in the name of security. Mr. Snowden told the truth in the name of privacy. So I think there will be a judgment, because both of them broke of the law.”

Clapper was asked by Oregon senator Ron Wyden in a March congressional hearing whether the government was collecting “any type of data at all on millions of Americans.” He responded, “No, sir.”

Paul said that cozying up to Putin’s Russa will tarnish Snowden’s reputation, but that if he takes refuge in a neutral country, he may be seen in history’s eyes as an advocate for privacy.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner...eliana-johnson

[jmdrake]

Thanks for posting. Good job on the contrast Rand. Frankly, though, I could care less who Snowden "cozies up to". I'd love to see him get to Iceland just so he wouldn't give talking points to the idiot talking heads. But his personal safety is paramount. If that means Russia or China or Venezuela, so be it. We can't take our eye off the ball. The U.S. government is violating the constitution and violating human dignity with its spy program.

[klamath]

I agree with Rand I hope Snowden ends up in a neutral country. Allowing the gov to the paint it as US vs Russian China won't help him. I wish there was a way we could put pressure on Iceland to give him asylum.

[Warlord]

He's very likely going to Ecuador to claim asylum

[HOLLYWOOD]

HERE WE GO! There's a POLL too


h XXp://politix.topix.com/homepage/6676-rep-justin-amash-intelligence-chief-should-resign

ALLEGED PERJURY
Congressman: Intelligence Chief Should Resign

Says Clapper "lied under oath" and "should be prosecuted"

33 min ago by David Mark
Editor-in-Chief t +



National Intelligence Director James Clapper testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington,
Thursday, April 18, 2013, before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on
the current and future threats to national security. • AP

Rep. Justin Amash says Director of National Intelligence James Clapper should resign because of his denial of NSA surveillance programs.

The Michigan Republican on Sunday reiterated his concerns that Clapper's March testimony before the Senate intelligence panel was tantamount to perjury.
"Still waiting for DNI Clapper to resign. He lied under oath & should be prosecuted. Where is U.S. government's commitment to Rule of Law?" Amash tweeted.
At issue is a March 12 back-and-forth between Clapper and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on classified surveillance programs.
Wyden, who was aware of the secret programs, asked Clapper: "Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans?"
"No, sir," Clapper responded.
He later sought to clarify his remarks, telling MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell that he tried to answer the question about classified information in the "least untruthful" manner possible.
"I thought, though in retrospect, I was asked a 'When are you going to stop beating your wife' kind of question, which is ... not answerable necessarily by a simple yes or no," Clapper said.
Politix.