Congressmen Say Clapper Lied To Congress, Ask Obama To Remove Him

Trailrunner7 writes "A group of six Congressmen have asked President Barack Obama to remove James Clapper as director of national intelligence as a result of his misstatements to Congress about the NSA's dragnet data-collection programs. The group, led by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), said that Clapper's role as DNI 'is incompatible with the goal of restoring trust in our security programs.' Clapper is the former head of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency and has been DNI since 2010. In their letter to Obama, the group of Congressmen calling for his ouster said that he lied to Congress and should no longer be in office. 'The continued role of James Clapper as Director of National Intelligence is incompatible with the goal of restoring trust in our security programs and ensuring the highest level of transparency. Director Clapper continues to hold his position despite lying to Congress, under oath, about the existence of bulk data collection programs in March 2013. Asking Director Clapper, and other federal intelligence officials who misrepresented programs to Congress and the courts, to report to you on needed reforms and the future role of government surveillance is not a credible solution,' the letter from Issa, Ted Poe, Paul Broun, Doug Collins, Walter Jones and Alan Grayson says." "Misstatement," of course, being the favorite euphemism for "lie."

Comments

Re:Get Ready

[Anonymous Coward]

so the pathological liars of the right wing are going after some one who "misstated" something? isn't this the pot calling the kettle black?

Re:Get Ready

[cold fjord]

When it comes time to defend Snowden everyone claims that there are other people taking documents, and if he didn't "blow the whistle," then someone else would, so nothing should be done to him, and it would have happened anyway. When it comes time for a conspiracy theory to denigrate the NSA everyone claims the most enormous conspiracy contrary to the law and values of the country would be possible and nobody would come forward to blow the whistle. Both of those positions can't really be true simultaneously, and they are in fact almost certainly essentially backwards.

Well, 9/11 is long past us, and the 9/11 "truthers" have mostly left or gone silent,* we are now in the age of the "NSA truther." Is that "progress" or what?

*Except you, and you know who you are.

Re:Get Ready

[cold fjord]

No, Snowden is at best a leaker, he could be worse.

Which "malfeasance" are you referring to? I haven't heard of them doing anything illegal (even if some might tend to make you uncomfortable).

With Congressional authorization unlike Korea, WWI

[raymorris]

Bush asked Congress for authorization and CONGRESS authorized the actions first. (As per the Constitution.)

Wilson started military action in World War I first, then later asked Congress to recognize that he'd already taken us to war.

Similarly Truman sent troops to Korea without asking for Congressional authorization.

Obama went into Libya after Congress, both parties, specifically told him not to. DEMOCRAT congressman Dennis Kucinich called this "an impeachable offense". Obama's own party leaders said:
"It's not even disputable, this isn't even a close question. Such an action -- that involves putting America's service men and women into harm's way, whether they're in the Air Force or the Navy -- is a grave decision that cannot be made by the president alone."

Are you not getting the difference between a president carrying out a law passed by congress (Bush in Afghanistan) versus disregarding Congress and doing what they please (Truman) versus declaring they will defy Congress and do precisely what law makers have said they must not do (Obama)? His own party says "it's not even close".

Re: Get Ready

[DarkOx]

Given that environment, I can see why Obama won't fire the guy. There's a chance Obama would not get a replacement confirmed by the end of his term.

That sounds like an ideal outcome to me.