When the NSA surveillance scandal first came to light last month, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper was extremely defiant about having been caught lying to Congress, bragging that he gave the “least untruthful” lie he could think of.
Facing growing calls for his resignation as part of the backlash, however, Clapper has changed his tune and offered a letter of apology to Senate Intelligence Committee chairwoman Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D – CA).
In the letter Clapper insisted that he was confused when Sen. Wyden (D – OR) asked him whether the NSA collects “dossiers” on hundreds of millions of Americans, and “simply didn’t think of” the existing dossiers, shrugging off what he bragged about before as a mere oversight.
The exact scope of the files collected on American citizens remains a closely guarded secret, and even with the recent leaks may never be fully known. Nevertheless, Clapper’s comments concede that the dossiers as such exist, and the question is now simply what is in them and how they are being used.
And the senate said: we got you covered.., but give us back our info you gathered about us.
A rose by any other name is still a rose. There are provisions for dealing with those who lie to the Senate during hearings, are there not?
Clapper belongs in a cell in Florence Colorado for managing the illegal spying apparatus. Lying to Congress is secondary.
They could fill an entire block with the elites who have so far avoided justice. They could start with Bush, Cheney, Condi Rice, Rumsfeld, Pearl, Wolfowitz, Feith, Hadley, Meyers, Shelton – and a host of others…then start filling cells with the current resident and his advisors.
But he is still a spy chief? What a wonderful country Americans live in.
He's sorry he got caught.
imprison IT NOW..!
This S.O.B. is still lying and should go to jail because, according to all news accounts, he was given a list of all the questions to be asked prior to the hearing, plus he was prodded and asked more than once to change his answers to agree with what was already known to be true by the questioner. The only possible excuse this scum-bag might have, is that since 99.9% of all high ranking government bureaucrats are known pathological liars (that's how they got the job), he can't help telling a lie everytime he opens his filthy mouth.
And who has all the information on the "questioners"? Old man Clapper himself, so all he has to do is say, sorry boys, see you another day.
No "he broke the law so he must pay the bill." If necessary these over-paid pink little men who "represent us" can just change the law. This can be called aligning vital protection measures with the principals inherent in our democracy.
The Snowden case is obvious on a simple moral plane of right and wrong in which he obeyed a higher rule than keeping his mouth shut for Booz Allen. Part of the kicked over garbage can he exposed shows Clapper now lying again. He'll probably earn an award for humility.
WATERBOARD him ….. after all, it is NOT torture and gets HONEST answers.
WATERBOARD Congress …. for the same reason.
What about an indictment for perjury and lying to Congress. Nixon was impeached for this.
Apology accepted. Now kick Clapper (and Alexander) out for bald-face lying (which continues up to this very second) and then fry their asses in court.
Maybe he figured lying to a bunch of liars is OK. When in Rome…