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Five questions about the AP surveillance
Washington Post ^ | May 17, 2013 | By Jennifer Rubin

Posted on 05/17/2013 12:04:47 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee

As is their pattern, defenders of the president offer a straw man in regard to the subpoena of Associated Press phone records: Shouldn’t we investigate leaks?

Duh, yes. The entire question, however, revolves around the extent of the probe and its necessity. Only the Richard Nixon fan club would argue, for example, that it is okay to willy-nilly conduct surveillance of the press on a leak that wasn’t actually a threat to national security.

The AP issue revolves around several issues.

Did the AP endanger national security?

The Post reported:

For five days, reporters at the Associated Press had been sitting on a big scoop about a foiled al-Qaeda plot at the request of CIA officials. Then, in a hastily scheduled Monday morning meeting, the journalists were asked by agency officials to hold off on publishing the story for just one more day.

The CIA officials, who had initially cited national security concerns in an attempt to delay publication, no longer had those worries, according to individuals familiar with the exchange. Instead, the Obama administration was planning to announce the successful counterterrorism operation that Tuesday. . .

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


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Below is an excerpt from the now infamous 5-7-12 AP story:

[The operation unfolded even as the White House and department of homeland security assured the American public that they knew of no al-Qaida plots against the US around the anniversary of bin Laden's death. The AP learned about the thwarted plot last week but agreed to White House and CIA requests not to publish it immediately because the sensitive intelligence operation was still under way.

Once those concerns were allayed, the AP decided to disclose the plot Monday despite requests from the Obama administration to wait for an official announcement Tuesday.]

Considering how sensitive the President is to real or imagined criticism it's not a reach that Obama told Holder to teach the AP a lesson.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/07/cia-al-qaida-bomb-plot

1 posted on 05/17/2013 12:04:47 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
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To: Brad from Tennessee

Link to 5-12 original AP story:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/07/cia-al-qaida-bomb-plot


2 posted on 05/17/2013 12:10:05 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee (A politician can't give you anything he hasn't first stolen from you.)
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To: Brad from Tennessee

Number six:
So, as a result of all of the questionable looking into phone records, did they find their leak, and were they punished?


3 posted on 05/17/2013 12:12:16 PM PDT by Repeal The 17th (We have met the enemy and he is us.)
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To: Brad from Tennessee
Five questions about the AP surveillance

I only have one question:

Are ANY reporters now pi$$ed off enough to begin reporting the facts about the most corrupt, and probably illegal, administration in American History?

4 posted on 05/17/2013 12:13:32 PM PDT by The Sons of Liberty (Pray THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA will be delivered from the evil unGODly forces)
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To: Brad from Tennessee

BENGHAZI DOT ONE, WHY THE VIDEO AND WHY AP
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3020336/posts


5 posted on 05/17/2013 12:16:06 PM PDT by MestaMachine
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To: Repeal The 17th

No and no.


6 posted on 05/17/2013 12:17:10 PM PDT by MestaMachine
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To: Brad from Tennessee

I have absolutely no problem with the Justice department obtaining information on the AP thru valid subpoena or warrant, but information on the subpoena or warrant aren’t forthcoming. Until recently, nobody was even mentioning them.

I don’t believe an investigative agency and or law enforcement agency should be in the position to approve and issue warrants.

I want to know what type of subpoena or warrant was issued, who approved it and who requested it.

I mean really, who here would have a problem if instead of the AP it was Al Jazeera who this was done to?


7 posted on 05/17/2013 12:17:16 PM PDT by Usagi_yo
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To: Brad from Tennessee
All these "wiretapping" instances that are apparently too numerous for Holder to remember or keep count of would seem excusable if they truly were National Security issues truly in the national interest, but of course, the Administration conveniently sees that through the prism of the health of their own grasp on power, that is, its own anti-American takedown of our capitalistic, honorable-and-superior-military-protected existence.

In other words, Zero says, "YES!" if a whistleblower tells (the truth) about Benghazi, it could jeopardize National Security! Never mind that the whistleblower is in fact exposing a lie or a situation the public has every right to know about what treason the government wrought.

The Administration will implicitly argue for its ability to discretionarily hide the truth, because its exposure could challenge their longevity, hence bring down the delicate house of cards they consider as the means to their well-intentioned end.

Of course, giving notice to every potential whistleblower that they will have been recorded and that retribution will be brought to their doorstep is very much part of their goal. Such a person will surely at a minimum not be allowed to keep last year's bonus next time around. (/s)

Hence, it was perfectly fine (to the liberals in power) to use the long-scrutinized-but-quiet AP story to the fore as the Benghazi began "threatening" the secrets of this administration and their attempt to build a bridge for their solidification of "Hopey-Changey" beyond the 2016 election.

HF

8 posted on 05/17/2013 12:28:35 PM PDT by holden (Alter or abolish it yet?)
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To: The Sons of Liberty

“Are ANY reporters now pi$$ed off enough to begin reporting the facts about the most corrupt, and probably illegal, administration in American History?”

That is a good question. My thought is their may be a couple but their superiors will reign them in. I am afraid in a couple of weeks if not sooner they will be back to their old ways of kissing Obama’s posterior.


9 posted on 05/17/2013 12:33:43 PM PDT by Parley Baer
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To: Usagi_yo
[I want to know what type of subpoena or warrant was issued, who approved it and who requested it.]

Eric Holder told Congress he didn't have the “factual foundation” to answer those questions. He recused himself but doesn't remember exactly when because he didn't put it in writing.

10 posted on 05/17/2013 12:36:07 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee (A politician can't give you anything he hasn't first stolen from you.)
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To: Brad from Tennessee; Jim Robinson; rockinqsranch

Funny how the lap dawgs get all uppity when it’s their ox getting gored,eh?

This isn’t our fight, leave it to the AP. We need to concentrate on gutting the IRS, commiecare, and immigration.

Keep your eyes on the prize!


11 posted on 05/17/2013 12:36:24 PM PDT by glock rocks ("If not us, who? If not now, when?" - Ronald Reagan)
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To: glock rocks

Yup. But it is one charge in the growing list of articles of impeachment. Keep pouring it on, on all fronts. Feed the media frenzy. Keep the congress riled up. If we can’t impeach him, force him to resign. In the very least stop his communist agenda. Reign ion the IRS and the rest of the federal Gestapo!! Get Obama’s CommieCare repealed or at least defunded and defanged!!


12 posted on 05/17/2013 12:42:42 PM PDT by Jim Robinson (Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God!!)
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To: Jim Robinson

It can not be mentioned enough.......if there was ever a time to communicate with your Congressional Rep, this is it! Call, write, email let them know your outrage. Nothing is more important and even more so if it is a Dem.


13 posted on 05/17/2013 12:48:10 PM PDT by Toespi
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To: Toespi

Yup. Let the congress know in no uncertain terms that we want this unAmerican communist/fascist crap ripped out by the roots and burned, never to rise again!!


14 posted on 05/17/2013 12:51:28 PM PDT by Jim Robinson (Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God!!)
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To: Jim Robinson; rockinqsranch

I agree, if there enough constitutionalists left in congress to follow all the slime trails, but if commiecare goes into effect, the republic is lost. If the IRS isn’t neutered, the republic is lost, and if amnesty is passed, then what we’re seeing today will be seen from now on, but in an increasingly sinister form.

All of this was released now for a reason. IMO, it was a trade-off to create enough of a smoke screen to pass amnesty, which would guarantee the future of a permanent Cloward Piven USSA.


15 posted on 05/17/2013 12:52:34 PM PDT by glock rocks ("If not us, who? If not now, when?" - Ronald Reagan)
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To: MestaMachine

Hi Mesta!

I’ve been wondering why no one is talking about the incredibly intrusive questionnaires put out by the Obama Administration during its census taking process. Not everyone got the intrusive documents, and some of those who did, checked with their state DAs and were assured that they were legitimate and must be answered or the citizen would be subject to federal penalty.

Among other things, they wanted to know your income, where it came from, how much money do you have now? Those who received them and felt compelled to answer stated that they felt very violated and uneasy about what information they gave up in that situation.

This seems to be as big a deal as the other things which have been in the news lately about the IRS.

What about that?


16 posted on 05/17/2013 1:22:16 PM PDT by TEXOKIE (We must surrender only to our Holy God and never to the evil that has befallen us.)
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To: Brad from Tennessee

I recall this incident, and while I can’t believe I’m saying this, the Just-Us dept is right on this one...

This was an ongoing operation where there was a Saudi operative within Al-Queda Arabian Peninsula, it it was completely blown by a leak within the Obama regime to “blow their horn” about how good they were at blocking terrorist plots.

The leaker needs to be charged with treason, and if it means that the AP call records were seized (only with a warrant), then so be it.

Mark


17 posted on 05/17/2013 1:27:21 PM PDT by MarkL (Do I really look like a guy with a plan?)
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To: TEXOKIE

I got one of those and it somehow blew into my burn barrel. Tsk.
People were questioning them but most had no clue how badly this administration would flaunt every law and shred the entire Constitution. Some of us knew and talked about it heren, but the country at large has been ‘trained’ to obey.


18 posted on 05/17/2013 1:37:03 PM PDT by MestaMachine
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To: glock rocks; Jim Robinson

“.......All of this was released now for a reason. IMO, it was a trade-off to create enough of a smoke screen to pass amnesty, which would guarantee the future of a permanent Cloward Piven USSA.”

Concerned we all know that Cloward Piven is a means to an end, and NOT a result. I understand your train of thought however, and your point is well taken.

As for the prior theory of trade-off I think that’s a distinct possibility NOT to be discounted, however I lean more towards the perspective of the sheer idiocy of the Leftist, and their historic tendency to reach far beyond their mortality. I believe all of this current activity is the filing in of the chickens to the roost, and we must keep spreading the scratch to keep them coming.


19 posted on 05/17/2013 1:39:02 PM PDT by rockinqsranch (Proud contributer to the Free Republic Q-2 Freepathon.)
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To: MarkL

There was no leak. It was obama himself who wanted to claim credit for the foiled bombing attempt to show haw good he is at keeping the country safe. Not to mention that it irked him no end that Israel’s Mossad was getting credit for it. It’s the same reason he outed stuxnet as a ‘joint’ American/Israeli op.


20 posted on 05/17/2013 1:47:17 PM PDT by MestaMachine
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