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Obama defends surveillance effort as 'trade-off' for security
reuters ^ | 6/7/2013 | Matt Spetalnick and Steve Holland

Posted on 06/07/2013 3:40:42 PM PDT by tobyhill

President Barack Obama on Friday staunchly defended the sweeping U.S. government surveillance of Americans' phone and internet activity, calling it a "modest encroachment" on privacy that was necessary to defend the United States from attack.

"Nobody is listening to your telephone calls. That's not what this program is about," Obama told reporters during a visit to California's Silicon Valley. He emphasized that the secret surveillance programs were supervised by federal judges and authorized by Congress, which had been briefed on the details.

Obama's comments came after reports this week in Britain's Guardian newspaper and the Washington Post revealed that the National Security Agency and the FBI had secretly conducted surveillance of Americans' telephone and internet communications activities far beyond what had been made public.

The two reports triggered a broad debate about privacy rights and the proper limits of government surveillance in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. They also sent White House officials and congressional leaders scrambling to explain why the government needs to collect information on trillions of phone calls and internet communications.

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


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: coup; prism
Obama says hell with the constitution.
1 posted on 06/07/2013 3:40:42 PM PDT by tobyhill
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To: tobyhill

Obama makes me feel totally insecure.


2 posted on 06/07/2013 3:42:47 PM PDT by Paladin2 (;-))
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To: tobyhill
Amazing how all his "trade-offs" are "ten for me and one for you."
3 posted on 06/07/2013 3:43:00 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("Forget it, Jake. It's Eric Holder's people.")
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To: tobyhill

What security? How did the Boston bombers get through?


4 posted on 06/07/2013 3:44:49 PM PDT by forgotten man
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To: tobyhill

That’s not what he said as a US Senator and then candidaite for POTUS. Words, just words?


5 posted on 06/07/2013 3:46:19 PM PDT by Hotlanta Mike ("Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish - too much handling will spoil it." Lao Tzu)
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To: tobyhill

security is an illusion and therefore I demand my freedoms instead. It is such a simple concept but it completely eludes the left.


6 posted on 06/07/2013 3:46:40 PM PDT by txnativegop (Fed up with zealots)
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To: tobyhill

“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, Give me Liberty, or give me Death!” - Patrick Henry, known terrorist (to the British)


7 posted on 06/07/2013 3:57:52 PM PDT by madison10
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To: tobyhill

Bankrobber says, “You know the only reason we brought guns is because we wanted the bank patrons on the scene during the robbery to be safe.”


8 posted on 06/07/2013 3:59:12 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (Obama lied and four men died after he went to hide...)
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To: tobyhill

So he changed his mind since 2007 when he was against it
or he is just a big fat liar.


9 posted on 06/07/2013 4:19:13 PM PDT by funfan
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To: tobyhill

Sure different than when Bush was in office.

Pray for America to Wake Up


10 posted on 06/07/2013 4:21:27 PM PDT by bray (Stop tolerating beheading!)
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To: tobyhill

Let Benjamin Franklin answer the Kenyan.

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.


11 posted on 06/07/2013 4:47:46 PM PDT by Venturer
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To: tobyhill

No compromise on liberty.


12 posted on 06/07/2013 4:56:36 PM PDT by ThunderSleeps (Stop obarma now! Stop the hussein - insane agenda!)
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To: tobyhill

FUBO


13 posted on 06/07/2013 7:09:01 PM PDT by The Wizard (Madam President is my President now and in the future)
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To: tobyhill
"F*ck you Statist; war." Paraphrased by...


14 posted on 06/07/2013 7:12:19 PM PDT by rollo tomasi (Working hard to pay for deadbeats and corrupt politicians.)
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