Republicans demand consequences for 'willful lie' by intelligence chief

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Republicans demand consequences for 'willful lie' by intelligence chief

Spencer Ackerman in New York
theguardian.com, Thursday 19 December 2013 21.11 GMT

Seven Republican members of Congress called on attorney general Eric Holder on Thursday to open an investigation into the leader of the US intelligence community.

In a letter issued the day after a White House surveillance review placed new political pressure on the National Security Agency, the seven members of the House judiciary committee said that James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, ought to face consequences for untruthfully telling the Senate that the NSA was “not wittingly” collecting data on Americans.

“Congressional oversight depends on truthful testimony – witnesses cannot be allowed to lie to Congress,” wrote representatives James Sensenbrenner, Darrell Issa, Trent Franks, Raul Labrador, Ted Poe, Trey Gowdy and Blake Farenthold, citing “Director Clapper’s willful lie under oath.”

During testimony in March that has become infamous, Clapper told Senator Ron Wyden, a member of the intelligence committee, that the NSA was not intercepting data on millions of Americans.

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/19/republicans-consequences-james-clapper-testimony

[LonePirate]

1. What a difference a decade makes!

[Coyotl]

11. A few decades? More like a few years. Who in the Bush Junta lied to Congress about this?

Now that we know more of the truth, who can be held accountable for all the lies since this spying was put in place?

[Scuba]

2. Good. Clapper should be prosecuted. That he hasn't even been fired is a stain on the administration.

[Agnosticsherbet]

3. Hold him in contempt of congress.

I've had nothing but contempt for Congress since 2011.

That said, It is about time they did their fucking job of oversight. What were they doing when the pass bills to fund the NSA's operations to the tune of billions of dollars. That new warehouse the NSA is building was paid for by Congress. Why didn't anyone ask at appropriations time what they were going to store there?

[Pholus]

4. Yeah, but this is what grandstanding looks like.

If they had done it the day after the hearings when it was obvious, then it would have been supportable.

This is just ambulance chasing...

[Agnosticsherbet]

5. This is another attempt to find shit to throw at President Obama.

That said, oversight is an enumerated power of Congress, and it is their job to do oversight.

[Pholus]

6. That's what it looks like based on the timing.

So, it isn't supportable in this case IMHO.

[winter is coming]

7. Of course it's an attempt to throw shit at the President.

This is something that should be investigated, but I suspect we'll get more poo-flinging and grandstanding than actual investigation. If they call any witnesses who have stuff to say about previous Administrations, they'll shut their "investigation" down so fast it'll make your head spin.

[VPStoltz]

8. Have these maroons ever heard of WMDs?

[colbertforpresident]

9. Don't defend him

This guy should be fired and the administration should do the right thing. Don't defend bad behavior like the republicans do.

[Coyotl]

10. YES! "...witnesses cannot be allowed to lie to Congress...."

Why hasn't Senator Wyden asked for prosecution of Clapper in the Senate? Not to mention calling for his resignation!