The Obama Administration continues to struggle with questions of why it has blocked any investigation, let alone prosecution, of James Clapper (right), director of National Intelligence, who previously acknowledged lying before the Senate. Not only has Clapper not been fired, but Obama has asked him to help oversee the “reforms” of the very abusive program that he helped run and then lied about to Congress. It is part of America’s Animal Farm where government officials can commit crimes with impunity while pursuing others like Snowden for arrest. Yet, the questions persist about Clapper so the Administration sent forth National Intelligence general counsel Robert Litt (left), who promptly made it far worse.
You may recall that when Clapper appeared before the Senate, he was asked directly, “Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans?” Clapper responded, “No, sir. … Not wittingly.”
We now know that was a lie. Later, Clapper admitted to giving a false answer to Congress but explained that his testimony was “the least untruthful” statement he could make. Yet, of course, that would still make it an untrue statement — which most people call a lie and lawyers call perjury. Indeed, when Roger Clemens was prosecuted for untrue statements before Congress, he was not told of the option to tell the least untrue statement on steroid use.
Now comes Litt, who ran a letter in the New York Times that falls into the category of a newspaper giving officials enough rope to hang themselves by. He insists that “[a]s a witness to the relevant events and a participant in them, I know that allegation is not true” that Clapper lied. He insists that Clapper misunderstood the question and then could not publicly correct his mistake “because the program involved was classified.” Really? Clapper later apologized and admitted that knowingly gave the “the least untruthful” statement that he could give.
Moreover, Clapper did not respond for two days to congressional staff over his false statement as he looked for a way out of the controversy.
Litt appears entirely comfortable with doublespeak that leaves readers scratching their heads. He portrays Clapper as a victim of Congress who virtually forced boss to lie: “This incident shows the difficulty of discussing classified information in an unclassified setting and the danger of inferring a person’s state of mind from extemporaneous answers given under pressure.” There is of course always that option of either telling the truth or simply refusing to answer or asking to go into closed session. However, what Clapper clearly wanted to bat down the controversy and assure the public that these rumors were baseless about a program that we now know exists.
Litt gives an account that seems right out of Claude Rains in Casablanca: “When we pointed out Mr Clapper’s mistake to him, he was surprised and distressed.” That must have come as quite a surprise to Clapper who denied the existence of a program that he was quite familiar with before the United States Congress and the American people. If Clapper is so utterly clueless about what he says in major hearings, I am not sure how he can function as an intelligence official.
The most remarkable aspect of Litt’s defense is how it contradicts Clapper’s later apology and acknowledgment of lying. Litt likely had a role in the apology, which admitted to knowingly giving a false answer. However, Litt now says that Clapper was caught in something between a senior moment and catatonic panic. Yet, Clapper admitted later that his answer was not based in confusion but was an intentional false statement. He said it turned out to be “too cute by half.”
None of his boss’s actual admissions seems to phase Litt who constructs an entirely new narrative where Clapper never realized that he had lied and was “shocked, shocked” when people later told him what he had said. The Administration seems to be moving in reverse in the five stages of Kübler-Ross. Having tried denial, bargaining and anger. They have decided to go back to denial.
The ease shown by Litt in ignoring the actual statements of his boss is indicative of the utter contempt shown by this Administration for the intelligence of the American people. The Obama Administration seems to be continually trying various narratives to see if one would excuse its protection of Clapper in a clear violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001 as well as other criminal provisions in lying to Congress.
Given the utter failure of Litt’s effort and the Administration’s unwillingness to actually acknowledge the criminality of lying to Congress, the Obama Administration might finally embrace the simple truth that in our new system “All [people] are equal, but some [people] are more equal than others.”
Jill
I believe Clapper received his questions in advance of giving testimony. Hmmm…
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Good point.
firefly, Thank you for that quote. Jeez, the BS we are supposed to believe!
I agree with what you, davidbluefish.
Is clapper lying now or then….. Or now and later…. Depends….
Clapper should have kept his Clap shut!
How high is the BS, my fellow citizens, frogs and sheep?
There are many precedents in the past that easily predict these precedents occurring in the present.
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Donald_Rumsfeld
Oh what a juicy trove Rumsfeld has weaved, quote after quote designed to deceive.
“…it seems to me that it’s up to all of us to try to tell the truth, to say what we know, to say what we don’t know, and recognize that we’re dealing with people that are perfectly willing to, to lie to the world to attempt to further their case and to the extent people lie of, ultimately they are caught lying and they lose their credibility and one would think it wouldn’t take very long for that to happen dealing with people like this.”
From the 2004 documentary film Control Room ….
Washington DC is ground zero for spin manipulation fog smoke and mirrors. A well spring of BS. Politicians are now admired for their ability to bend and shape truth.
Democratic registered voters do not see the hypocrisy of their beloved elected politicians, Ditto for Repubs.
My party “right or wrong”. The BS of my party is better than the BS of your party. Divide and conquer.
We are not united. The current conditions in Washington are purposefully designed to divide.
The CWMIC, (corporatewallstmilitaryindustrialcomplex) operate best and most profitably within this divided rudderless ship of state.
Democrats lie and are hypocrites Republicans lie and are hypocrites. Clapper lies, Rumsfeld lies, Obama lies, Reid lies, McConnell lies, …. etc….etc.
The new coin of state is the comfortable lie. The perfectly dividing lie. The lie that is supported enough to be accepted in public, by enough people to give its’ falseness a comfortable deniability. A lie comfortable enough for the public to allow. We are frogs in a pot, and the BS is rising and getting hotter.
Leepermax, The NYT has already switched over to Hillary Press Agent. Didn’t you read their Benghazi puff piece that was pilloried by both Dems and Rep who know the facts. They have to stay ahead of the curve.
Leepermax, The NYT has already switched over to Hillary Press Agent. Didn’t you read their Benghazi puff piece that was pilloried by both Dems and Rep who know the facts.
Sen. Ron Wyden said he gave the question to Clapper the day BEFORE the hearing so Clapper could prepare his answer and NOT be caught off guard.
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“When NSA Director Alexander failed to clarify previous public statements about domestic surveillance, it was necessary to put the question to the Director of National Intelligence. So that he would be prepared to answer, I sent the question to Director Clapper’s office a day in advance. After the hearing was over my staff and I gave his office a chance to amend his answer. Now public hearings are needed to address the recent disclosures and the American people have the right to expect straight answers from the intelligence leadership to the questions asked by their representatives.”
http://tinyurl.com/n3d6sf8
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It was not a “senior” moment; it was a flat-out lie to Congress and the American people.
It’s almost hard to believe the N.Y.T. is still in business
as they lead the “Obama Mainstream Media” threat to
everything noble and worthy about this great country!!!
I believe Clapper received his questions in advance of giving testimony. Hmmm…
THE US GOVERNMENT AND ITS’ PERSONNEL CAN GET AWAY WITH LYING, CHEATING, STEALING and even MURDERING ITS’ CITIZENS NOW.
IT IS NOT JUST IRS AUDITS THAT THEY ARE TARGETING PEOPLE WITH WHO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE EMBEDDED CORRUPTION, BUT BURGLARIES AND MURDERS.
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I’ve been targeted for “WATCH LIST” burglaries, using surveillance personnel and monitoring to carry these burglaries out.
I’ve overheard one of the informant-operatives in the burglaries on his cell phone talking to another person involved and discussing my political activities and asking “What did the President say?” and saying ” it would be in the courts for years” ……….. THAT IS HOW THEY GET AWAY WITH THEIR CRIMES — AND YOU CAN’T EVEN FIND AN ATTORNEY AND THE ACLU IS USELESS……….
They even burglarized me while I was asleep, stealing money out of my wallet, keys and putting files on my laptops’ desktop display…. They have stolen over $20,000 in property and no one will help because everything is corrupt in the government and legal industry.
I begged my youngest brother to spend the night with me in this remote rural area, which I used to live in and I was asleep in my normal sleeping room and he stayed in a room I used for storage. He heard a noise at 1:00 AM and looked out to see a white van with lots of antennas on it and bicycles on the back of it. He refused to spend any more nights with me and I had to move everything in to storage as there is no way to stop these people involved in black-ops covert entry burglaries.
I’VE POSTED PHOTOS OF THE DAMAGED LOCKS WHICH WERE PICKED ON CRAIGSLIST AND THE CAR ALARM SIREN CABLE CUT ON MY VEHICLE.
MY FOIAS TO NUMEROUS FBI TASK FORCE AGENCIES HAVE BEEN DENIED AS WELL AS MY APPEALS…….. SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO COVER UP THEIR CRIMINAL OPERATIONS…… AND NO ONE WILL HELP STOP THEM………………..
I’M HOMELESS NOW AND MY THREE PREVIOUS STORAGE FACILITIES HAVE BEEN BURGLARIZED AND I HAD TO MOVE THE REMAINDER OF PROPERTY TO A FOURTH STORAGE FACILITY.
EVERYTHING IS CORRUPT NOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Actually the shocked and senior moment might help make more sense out of the utter failure of our spy apparatus to accomplish much good in the last 70 years. Maybe we do have idiots running the NSA, CIA etc, that would explain why they keep messing up the world.
Students can learn much about angular momentum with all the spin here.
I hope that this will get to the pages of USA Today. It is time to get Clapper out and into court, along with this fool Litt. It is hard to believe that such a person not only got through any law school, but actually passed the bar. It is also a time to reconsider his law license I would think.
I certainly hope that none of Prof Turley’s students will wind up this way. Keep up the good work, and wash out prospective lawyers like Litt. It will go far to restoring the reputation of lawyers.
Reblogged this on Dead Citizen's Rights Society.
Clapper spied, Clapper lied, Clapper spied.
or as Glenn Greenwald said, “With Liberty and Justice for Some”.
“Confused and shocked” that he was asked a tough question? I’ll add that to my list of “No legal controlling authority, At that place and time[Watergate], It depends on your meaning of is, etc.” I am in “Shock and awe” over this Orwellian world that has evolved the past few decades.
Clapper lied! Prosecute him as if he is a baseball player. I am tired of above the law government officials.