Obama and the NSA Part 2 - 2nd Term Blues

Telegraph: Reports the following on the Amash defeat in the US House, " The White House succeeded in heading head off attempts by libertarian and liberal members of Congress to outlaw the blanket collection and trawling of phone data by US intelligence agencies, after warning the move would damage American security. ".

Lets Get Real:

There are two reasons folks why the Oval and the Leaders of both the Democratic and Republican Parties support the NSA, they do not want something to happen on their watch, the voters will not care what the mood of the Country was before, they will blame the Congress if they pass something that allows for a major terrorist attack, also at its most basic folks you do not mess about with the NSA, EVER, its like when Hoover was at the FBI, why take the risk, the NSA will be around after ANY Administration, do you really want them on your back, leaking stuff that makes you look bad, and if your the Oval you have no power after January 2oth 2017, so the Oval is doing the right thing when it comes to public policy and covering its base for after 2017.   Politics is still politics folks, it has it high ideals, but also its cynical base nature, that what makes it fun folks. 

Obama and the NSA - 2nd Term Blues

The New York Times: Reports the following on the defeat of Amash Amendment by the House, " ..the Obama administration a hard-fought victory in the first Congressional showdown on intelligence policy ".

Lets Get Real: 

As the final vote roll calls shows the victory was close folks, the Amendment was defeated by 217 to 205, if the Democrats had been united they could have stopped the NSA spaying on ALL Americans, but former Democratic Speaker Pelosi and the present Republican Speaker and their loyal colleagues supported the NSA.   It was the right move folks, but one knows that if there was  Republican President the Democrats would be one is opposing this move, it just happens that there is a Democratic in the White House, they on the whole they have to support him, but as time goes on the leadership, both Republican and Democrats will find it hard to keep their troops in line when it comes to this issue, time and distance from 9/11 will make people think that a MAJOR threat is no longer possible, while the NSA might prevent MAJOR attacks it did not prevent the Boston Bombing, thus one can argue that national security hawks and who ever is in the Oval will have tougher fights in the future, this is not the end of the debate folks. 

Amash Amendment Defeated - 2nd Term Blues

Guardian: Reports on the fate of the Amash Amendment in the Republican House, " First major challenge to NSA's bulk collection of phone records defeated by only 217 votes to 205 in House of Representatives ".

Lets Get Real:

The vote was interesting folks, the vote divided Parties, on the hawk side was the Obama Oval and Conservative Republicans, while liberal or moderate Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the spaying on US Citizens.   Those that watched 9/11 will never forget that day, but it is like those that were around on November 22 1963, the day that President Kennedy was Assassinated, to them that was the DAY that changed the US, while those that were born after 1963 can place the Kennedy assassination in context, did the change from Kennedy to Johnson really change US policy in Vietnam, many Kennedy supporters have argued so, while those that see Kennedy in the cold light of day and with time argue that LBJ was carrying on the Kennedy policy, what IF's are for counter factual history.  What can be said of President Johnson is that he put his Presidency on the line for Civil Rights and the Great Society, with the best will in the World one can not see Kennedy passing Civil Rights, he was far to cautious, and wanted Southern votes in 64 and to support his brother later on, time has away of showing the truth to those that were not around at fixed times of history, historians have a point of view, that is to be expected, but honest historians give you objective history as far as they can, they give you what was going on and the results, not what they want to have happened, and what COULD have happened.   Thus in time 9/11 will become part of history, such as the Pearl Harbour in 1941, the Kennedy Assassination of 63, but to those that lived through those hours, it will never be far away, it defines us as much as the Cold War.