Posted on 08/05/2009 11:52:59 AM PDT by markomalley
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) is worried that the White House will use a new media outreach program to collect the personal data of its political opponents.
Yesterday, the White House asked supporters to forward "fishy" claims or rumors about the President's healthcare plan to a White House email address as a way to respond to "disinformation."
Cornyn says this practice would let the White House collect personal information about people who oppose the President.
"By requesting citizens send 'fishy' emails to the White House, it is inevitable that the names, email, addresses, IP addresses and private speech of U.S. citizens will be reported to the White House," Cornyn wrote in a letter to Obama. "You should not be surprised that these actions taken by your White House staff raise the specter of a data collection program."
Cornyn asked Obama to cease the program immediately, or at the very least explain what the White House would do with the information it collects.
"I am not aware of any precedent for a President asking American citizens to report their fellow citizens to the White House for pure speech that is deemed 'fishy' or otherwise inimical to the White House's political interests," Cornyn said.
Read the full letter here.
Some highlights for those who don't want to download the letter:
…I am not aware of any precedent for a President asking American citizens to report their fellow citizens to the White House for pure political speech that is deemed "fishy" or otherwise inimical to the White House's political interest.
…By requesting that citizens send emails to the White Hosue, it is inevitable that the names, email addresses, IP addresses, and private speech of U.S. citizens will be reported to the White House…
…I can only imagine the level of justifiable outrage had your predecessor asked Americans to forward emails critical of his policies to the White House. I suspect that you would have been leding the charge in condemning such a program…
…I respectfully request an answer to the following:
- How do you intend to use the names, email addresses, IP addresses, and identities of citizens who are reported to hve engaged in "fishy" speech?
- How do you intend to notify citizens who have been reported for "fishy" speech?
- What action do you intend to take against citizens who have been reported for engaging in "fishy" speech?
- Do you own past statements qualify as "disinformatin"? For example, is it "disinformation to note that in 2003 you said: "I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer universal health care plan"?
OK, so Cornyn is on my good side.
I think I'll run down to the USMC Air Station at Indian Head and Twitter my thanks to him! (snarky comment courtesy of this thread)
Didn’t the Nazi’s get people to inform on their neighbors?
BTW, there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people protesting Obamacare on Twitter and all over the Internet, TV and publishing.
As did the Stalinists and the Maoists
Remember how the left screamed about Nixon's "Enemies List"?
Where is the ACLU? /sarc
But seriously folks, WTF?
Obama says he wants you to call him (at his home) and report the lies.
Phone Numbers
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
You can also call or write to the President:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Please include your e-mail address
Or use their online form here
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
No. No explaining. SHUT IT DOWN NOW. Nothing less than recanting the post and invalidating the address and refusing to accept any such contributions by informants. "Explaining" lets them dazzle you with comforting words while they do whatever they want with it.
It was common in East Germany. Still is in Cuba.
IBTF!! (in before the flag@whitehouse.gov)
FOIA. Get busy.
BTTT
This puts Cornyn on my good side, too—at least for today! LOL!
That will change. By the time Congress reconvenes anyone who opposes Obamacare will be seen as a right-wing racist nutcase. O'Reilly will probably help lead the fight for "truth" on the matter too.
I keep trying to set the hook on all fishy E-Mails and they just won’t bite!! I have tried all kind of bait and lures and have had no success at all in trying to catch any of the type of fishy’s. Please help if you know how and we will pass this information along to the correct authorities of E-Mail Wild Life Management!!
Signed a frustrated fisherman!!
The “health care reform” bill is a thousand page monstrosity concocted by Congressional staffers, pressure groups, and lobbyists. Most of the people supporting it don’t know what’s in it. Tell me that’s a lie.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
Anyone know how to file an FOIA request to make the Administration disclose the data it has collected and how they are storing/using it?
By that standard, 50% of the country would be “nutcases”. Is he prepared to widen that rift and risk the political and social consequences?
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