Clinton SEX scandals and the Cover Up - 2016

BBC News: Reports that the US State Department under Secretary Hillary Clinton has been accused of covering up illegal acts of US State Department Staff.  

Lets Get Real: 

This is the last thing that the Clinton Camp needs, it faces problems of the lack of action by Secretary Clinton when the US Consulate in Libya was attacked by terrorists, there are doubts about the information that Secretary Clinton gave to the US Congress, how much she knew and when, now this, these cover ups cover serious illegal actions, the Clinton Camp in pure political terms needs to put this fire out, even the Titanic sank folks due to enough holes under the water, one can guess that those that want to oppose Hillary Clinton in 2016 will be making sure that all these scandals lead to the Clinton Camp, the lack of Hillary Clinton dealing with these scandals shows why she lost the 2008 Democratic race to President Obama, she is not Bill, she is not that good a politician, thus ends the hope of Hillary and Bill Clinton to return to the White House, it is that serious folks. 

The UK and Obama's 1984 Intelligence System - UK Angle

BBC News: Reports that the UK big electronic ears GCHQ has had access to the US Prism spy programme. 

Lets Get Real:

The Internet part of Obama's 1984 system is to spy on those outside the US, so the NSA has access to content from blogs to emails from around the WORLD, the most important thing that the UK should do is get the Oval to STOP these leaks, they are a threat to national security, it will allow the terrorists to know how to avoid getting caught, thus Obama needs to find his inner Richard Nixon and go after these leakers and fast.    It is good to know that the UK is trusted to part of this programme, shows our close electronic co-operation with the US, those that leak these secrets are no better than traitors, harsh words folks, but people could die because the LIBERAL left does not have the backbone to tackle the terrorist threat.  Good for Obama and Cameron, keep up the good work. 

Obama and 1984 - 2nd Term Blues

The White House: Statement by President Obama on the recent Intelligence leaks, " Q    Mr. President, could you please react to the reports of secret government surveillance of phones and Internet?  And can you also assure Americans that the government -- your government doesn't have some massive secret database of all their personal online information and activities?

THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.  When I came into this office, I made two commitments that are more important than any commitment I made:  Number one, to keep the American people safe; and number two, to uphold the Constitution.  And that includes what I consider to be a constitutional right to privacy and an observance of civil liberties.

Now, the programs that have been discussed over the last couple days in the press are secret in the sense that they're classified.  But they're not secret in the sense that when it comes to telephone calls, every member of Congress has been briefed on this program.  With respect to all these programs, the relevant intelligence committees are fully briefed on these programs.  These are programs that have been authorized by broad bipartisan majorities repeatedly since 2006. 

And so, I think at the outset, it's important to understand that your duly elected representatives have been consistently informed on exactly what we're doing.  Now, let me take the two issues separately. 

When it comes to telephone calls, nobody is listening to your telephone calls.  That’s not what this program is about.  As was indicated, what the intelligence community is doing is looking at phone numbers and durations of calls.  They are not looking at people's names, and they're not looking at content.  But by sifting through this so-called metadata, they may identify potential leads with respect to folks who might engage in terrorism.  If these folks -- if the intelligence community then actually wants to listen to a phone call, they've got to go back to a federal judge, just like they would in a criminal investigation. 

So I want to be very clear -- some of the hype that we've been hearing over the last day or so -- nobody is listening to the content of people's phone calls.  This program, by the way, is fully overseen not just by Congress, but by the FISA Court -- a court specially put together to evaluate classified programs to make sure that the executive branch, or government generally, is not abusing them, and that it's being carried out consistent with the Constitution and rule of law.

And so, not only does that court authorize the initial gathering of data, but -- I want to repeat -- if anybody in government wanted to go further than just that top-line data and want to, for example, listen to Jackie Calmes' phone call, they would have to go back to a federal judge and indicate why, in fact, they were doing further probing. 

Now, with respect to the Internet and emails -- this does not apply to U.S. citizens and it does not apply to people living in the United States.  And again, in this instance, not only is Congress fully apprised of it, but what is also true is that the FISA Court has to authorize it. 

So in summary, what you've got is two programs that were originally authorized by Congress, have been repeatedly authorized by Congress, bipartisan majorities have approved on them, Congress is continually briefed on how these are conducted.  There are a whole range of safeguards involved, and federal judges are overseeing the entire program throughout.  We're also setting up -- we've also set up an audit process, when I came into office, to make sure that we're, after the fact, making absolutely certain that all the safeguards are being properly observed. 

Now, having said all that, you'll remember when I made that speech a couple of weeks ago about the need for us to shift out of a perpetual war mindset, I specifically said that one of the things that we're going to have to discuss and debate is how are we striking this balance between the need to keep the American people safe and our concerns about privacy?  Because there are some tradeoffs involved. 

I welcome this debate.  And I think it's healthy for our democracy.  I think it's a sign of maturity, because probably five years ago, six years ago, we might not have been having this debate.  And I think it's interesting that there are some folks on the left but also some folks on the right who are now worried about it who weren't very worried about it when there was a Republican President.  I think that's good that we're having this discussion.

But I think it's important for everybody to understand -- and I think the American people understand -- that there are some tradeoffs involved.  I came in with a healthy skepticism about these programs.  My team evaluated them.  We scrubbed them thoroughly.  We actually expanded some of the oversight, increased some of safeguards.  But my assessment and my team's assessment was that they help us prevent terrorist attacks.  And the modest encroachments on the privacy that are involved in getting phone numbers or duration without a name attached and not looking at content, that on net, it was worth us doing.  Some other folks may have a different assessment on that.

But I think it's important to recognize that you can't have 100 percent security and also then have 100 percent privacy and zero inconvenience.  We're going to have to make some choices as a society.  And what I can say is that in evaluating these programs, they make a difference in our capacity to anticipate and prevent possible terrorist activity.  And the fact that they’re under very strict supervision by all three branches of government and that they do not involve listening to people's phone calls, do not involve reading the emails of U.S. citizens or U.S. residents absent further action by a federal court that is entirely consistent with what we would do, for example, in a criminal investigation -- I think on balance, we have established a process and a procedure that the American people should feel comfortable about. 

But, again, these programs are subject to congressional oversight and congressional reauthorization and congressional debate.  And if there are members of Congress who feel differently, then they should speak up.  And we're happy to have that debate. 

Okay?  All right.  And we'll have a chance to talk further over the course of the next couple of days.

Q    Do you welcome the leaks, sir?  Do you welcome the leaks?  Do you welcome the debate?

THE PRESIDENT:  I don't welcome leaks, because there's a reason why these programs are classified.  I think that there is a suggestion that somehow any classified program is a "secret" program, which means it's somehow suspicious. 

The fact of the matter is in our modern history, there are a whole range of programs that have been classified because -- when it comes to, for example, fighting terror, our goal is to stop folks from doing us harm.  And if every step that we’re taking to try to prevent a terrorist act is on the front page of the newspapers or on television, then presumably the people who are trying to do us harm are going to be able to get around our preventive measures.  That's why these things are classified.

But that's also why we set up congressional oversight.  These are the folks you all vote for as your representatives in Congress, and they're being fully briefed on these programs.  And if, in fact, there was -- there were abuses taking place, presumably those members of Congress could raise those issues very aggressively.  They're empowered to do so.

We also have federal judges that we put in place who are not subject to political pressure.  They’ve got lifetime tenure as federal judges, and they're empowered to look over our shoulder at the executive branch to make sure that these programs aren’t being abused.

So we have a system in which some information is classified, and we have a system of checks and balances to make sure that it’s not abused.  And if, in fact, this information ends up just being dumped out willy-nilly without regard to risks to the program, risks to the people involved -- in some cases, on other leaks, risks to personnel in a very dangerous situation -- then it’s very hard for us to be as effective in protecting the American people.

That's not to suggest that you just say, trust me; we’re doing the right thing; we know who the bad guys are.  And the reason that's not how it works is because we’ve got congressional oversight and judicial oversight.  And if people can't trust not only the executive branch but also don't trust Congress and don't trust federal judges to make sure that we’re abiding by the Constitution, due process and rule of law, then we’re going to have some problems here.

But my observation is, is that the people who are involved in America’s national security, they take this work very seriously.  They cherish our Constitution.  The last thing they’d be doing is taking programs like this to listen to somebody’s phone calls.

And by the way, with respect to my concerns about privacy issues, I will leave this office at some point, sometime in the last -- next three and a half years, and after that, I will be a private citizen.  And I suspect that, on a list of people who might be targeted so that somebody could read their emails or listen to their phone calls, I'd probably be pretty high on that list.  It's not as if I don't have a personal interest in making sure my privacy is protected.

But I know that the people who are involved in these programs, they operate like professionals.  And these things are very narrowly circumscribed.  They're very focused.  And in the abstract, you can complain about Big Brother and how this is a potential program run amuck, but when you actually look at the details, then I think we've struck the right balance. ".

Lets Get Real:

This is the problem that the Oval has, on the one hand it wants to END the WAR ON TERROR, but when it finds itself in a hole of its own making it uses the threat of terror as a get of jail card. This blog has stated supports the surveillance of phones and Internet of the US people and those abroad, if it saves one life so be it, people with nothing to hide should not worry, the one thing that President Obama could do is say sorry to Bush 43, on the whole the Obama Administration has kept the national security structure of Bush 43, it could be one of the reasons that the poll numbers for Bush 43 have gone up, it has been fun to see the liberal left lose the plot over these developments, hubris comes before a fall folks. 

NYT and the Obama's Nixon Bugging - 2nd Term Blues

The New York Times: Reports on the "..domestic surveillance program under which it is collecting business communications records involving Americans under a hotly debated section of the Patriot  Act,...".

Lets Get Real:

Half of the article is a defence of the action by the Obama Administration by a Obama Official , of course off the record, think folks if this was Richard Nixon just after Watergate, Ronald Reagan at the height of Iran - Contra or Bush 43 after Iraq and his anti terrorist polices, would the uber liberal NYT give the Administration so much space for the defence, one has great doubts, this blog can not even find a critical editorial on the news.  Lets be clear this blog support the policy, bug everyone if it saves lives, that is the WORLD after 9/11, the World still in the War on Terror, what ever President Obama says on the matter on any given day.   Lets recall the uber liberal NYT covered for Stalin, one would have thought it would have learned from that lesson, IT HAS NOT, that is why the NYT is going broke and blind in both eyes, if you refuse to see the truth and only report YOUR TRUTH you are bound to fail folks, such a pity for once great Newspaper, thank goodness for modern media.  

Obama on Bugging YOU in the US - 2nd Term Blues

Guardian: Reports the following reaction by the Obama White House to the leak that the NSA is bugging millions of US Citizens, " White House upholds 'critical tool in protecting the nation from terrorist threats' as senior politicians condemn practice ".

Lets Get Real:

It will be interesting how the LIBERAL press spin this story for Obama, you know folks if this was Richard Nixon or Bush 43 they would be up arms, even more so if you add the attack on the AP and Fox News, the problem that President Obama has is that he has stated within the past few days that the War on Terror is OVER, so why does the NSA need to bug million of Americans, either the US is at War with Terror or it is not, you can not have it both ways, the liberal press know in their heart of hearts if they let Obama off on this the next Republican President will laugh at them if they go after him over the same issue, in the future a Republican President can say he is just doing as President Obama, and what can the press say, that is why Obama is fool folks, he has allowed his ego to run away with him, words have a way of coming back to bite you on the Presidential backside, if your allow hubris to take over folks. 

National Security OR 1984? - 2nd Term Blues

BBC News: Reports that the US National Security Agency has ordered Verizon, a major US telephone company to hand over the numbers of its clients, who they phone and the duration of those calls. 

Lets Get Real: 

After the press bugging are you surprised folks, the only surprise is that its a LIBERAL President who has pushed the limits what Bush 43 started, yes liberals will blame Bush 43, they seem to forget that President Obama is six months in to his second term.  As to the issue, if it secures the US, so be it, its the right policy, the NSA is far to clever to get in to the mess that is the IRS scandal, even the Obama crowd would never push they NSA, they bug everyone, you do no mess with them, the Oval will have to come out and defend this policy, if it prevents terrorist attack then its a great policy, do you want your phone bugged or another 9/11 in New York, a 7/7 in London, or another Boston.   Lets see how Liberals and Conservatives react, if your a Conservative you should support this policy, you would if it was a Republican President, if your a LIBERAL you will be calling for Impeachment, lets see who follows the Party line and stand firms with their Agenda no matter who is on the Oval, as with Drones the Oval is right on this policy.  The Leaker should be sent to jail, security comes first folks. 

Obama on Syria - Syrian Update

The White House: In the following statement the Oval states the following on the role of Hizballah and Iran in Syria, " It is clear that the regime could not contest the opposition’s control of Qusayr on its own, and is depending upon Hizballah and Iran to do its work for it in Qusayr.  Hizballah’s involvement in Syria and the Syrian regime’s cross border attack today on Arsal represent blatant violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty and a deliberate threat to Lebanese stability.  The United States firmly supports Lebanon’s security, stability and sovereignty.  We commend and support recent statements by Lebanon’s leaders calling for adherence to Lebanon’s policy of disassociation from the Syrian conflict.  Hizballah and Iran should immediately withdraw their fighters from Syria. We also urge all parties to avoid actions that could exacerbate the already devastating toll of this crisis on civilians and increase the risks of spillover of violence. ....Assad’s refusal to step aside is only prolonging the suffering of the Syrian people and postponing the inevitable.  Assad’s reign will end, and the Syrian people will build a new, democratic Syria without him.  Those who have committed these heinous crimes against the Syrian people will be held accountable. ".

Lets Get Real: 

The Obama Oval has let down the Syrian people, it has been estimated that over eighty thousand Syrians have died in the Syrian Civil War, over million Syrians are refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey, these Countries have started to be infected with the violence from Syria, the Oval stated last year that should Assad use chemical weapons this would be a red line and the US would ACT, well the French and the UK has confirmed that chemical weapons have been used and the WORLD does nothing, the Obama Oval has abdicated leadership in the Middle East, the ISRAELI air force has become the regional Policeman because the Oval is afraid to ACT, history does not look well on weak leaders, no matter their internal domestic record, President Johnson was tarred with no winning in Vietnam, Bush 43 saw his administration eaten away by Iraq, his brave decision to have a surge allowed the US to leave Iraq with some honour, even thought the place is now falling apart, and that is more down to VP Biden not getting an agreement for the US to stay in Iraq.   The Oval has to get off its ego and lead in the Middle East, that means using force in Syria and Iran, otherwise the region and the World will suffer folks.