"“I find really that Clapper is lying to Congress is probably more injurious to our intelligent capabilities than anything Snowden did because Clapper has damaged the credibility of the entire intelligence apparatus, and I'm not sure what to believe anymore when they come to Congress,” Paul said in an interview with CNN. Paul has been consistently critical of Clapper and the surveillance program since its public disclosure this year. During a hearing in March, Clapper said the NSA does not “wittingly” collect bulk information on all Americans. After Snowden leaked a trove of NSA documents, it was revealed that the agency collects metadata from all U.S. phones. Clapper has since apologized for the statement." The Hill
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Why is Clapper still DNI? He has admitted to perjuring himself before the Senate of the United States. Why is he still DNI?
Senator Paul is correct. The man should leave and then be prosecuted for his admitted felony in lying to the senate under oath.
If the Congress cannot rely on the truth of senior intelligence peoples' statements in testimony then the agencies they represent are the property of the "emperor" rather than the citizens of the United States.
Some of these fellows who are promoted to high rank in the civil/military government world are not well educated and do not really understand the tri-partite nature of the federal government and their personal obligation to treat the Congress as an equal partner with the Executive branch. I am reminded of an army lieutenant general then director of a national intelligence agency who told me that he could not serve more than one master and for that reason felt no need to do anything with Congress other than to ask for money every year,
In any event Clapper should be fired and prosecuted "to encourage the others." pl
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/193597-paul-calls-on-clapper-to-resign
Damn right. What other perjury has Clapper committed? What other spying is the administration doing against citizens -and members of Congress?
Posted by: Fred | 19 December 2013 at 11:33 AM
Do you suppose Clapper is any more honest in his dealings with the executive branch? Is anyone actually watching the watchers?
Posted by: dsrcwt | 19 December 2013 at 12:13 PM
Another off topic comment here but for me associatively related, to the extend I wonder for much longer now to what extend Palestine could be a larger military testing ground for whatever type of fifth columns.
Pat's John Allen collection:
http://tinyurl.com/pat-john-allen-collection
Apparently Obama's friend had the task of defending "Western culture", and Israel's specific Western frontier "security needs" by devising the administration's “framework proposal” for the creation of a Palestinian state" which we will be hearing about more soon:
http://mondoweiss.net/2013/12/framework-proposal-gazafication.html
"The main sticking point is the Jordan Valley, an area that was expected to comprise nearly a quarter of a future Palestinian state. Allen has indulged an Israeli demand that it be allowed to continue a long-term “military presence” in the Jordan Valley, of at least 10 years.
Not only this but, according to a memo sent by Abbas to Obama, which the Haaretz newspaper revealed this week, the US plan would condition an eventual Israeli withdrawal on the Palestinians meeting a “test of implementation.” Abbas rightfully believes that this would give Israel an effective veto on ever leaving the Jordan Valley.
That is a big retreat from Washington’s earlier commitment, made at the Annapolis talks of 2007, that no Israeli soldiers would be stationed in the West Bank following an agreement. Security guarantees were to be provided instead by Nato troops, under US command.
The new proposal should be a deal-breaker. The valley is a vital resource for the Palestinians, one they have been effectively stripped of for decades by Israel’s exaggerated “security needs”.
The Jordan Valley offers the only land border in the West Bank that would be potentially under Palestinian control. It is one of the few remaining undeveloped areas, making it a possible site to which hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees could return. And its lands are fertile and warm all year round, making it highly productive and a likely engine for the Palestinian economy.
According to Allen’s plan, Israel’s security also requires that Palestinian security forces be only lightly armed, that Israel has control over the airspace and all borders, and that the US install spying technology – euphemistically called “early warning systems” – throughout the West Bank.
In other words, the US vision of a Palestinian state looks remarkably like the model Israel has already implemented in Gaza."
Or from my perspective it looks remarkably how the senate intends to deal with Iran. Ultimately "they only understand force". Brave new world.
Posted by: LeaNder | 19 December 2013 at 12:46 PM
YUP! Not just Presidents can be impeached!
Posted by: William R. Cumming | 19 December 2013 at 01:10 PM
Col Lang and Sen Paul are absolutely correct. Clapper should go.
Posted by: Edward Amame | 19 December 2013 at 03:28 PM
Leander: Do Obama/Kerry think they can get even Abbas, the ulimate doormat, to agree to such a travesty?
Posted by: Matthew | 19 December 2013 at 03:52 PM
Pat you and I graduate from an Institution whose ethos is shaped by the concept that one does not lie cheat or steal nor tolerate anyone who does. Washington, should be governed by the same rules, but if was it would be a vast wasteland.
Posted by: Townie--76 | 19 December 2013 at 05:06 PM
Clapper ain't going anywhere.
Remember, Holder is responsible for the death of BPA Brian Terry through his Fast and Furious sting, was found in contempt of Congress, and nothing was done.
I wouldn't hold my breath. This administration isn't beholden to anything like "rule of law".
Posted by: Tyler | 19 December 2013 at 06:55 PM
I recently saw the following quote " I will take one Snowden over 1,000 Clappers" which may be apt for the times, of course they are both criminals.
As for that Lt. General he must not have remembered his oath as we the people are represented in Congress by our elected representatives who deserve respect no matter how detestable they can be at times.
The longer Clapper serves the more questions arise for Obama and his empire. Toss the Bums out.
Posted by: Bobo | 19 December 2013 at 07:03 PM
Clapper and Alexander are there because Obama has no spine. He is a Harvard trained constitutional lawyer who fails to see the benefit of the rule of law or doesn't have the guts to make the rule of law paramount.
Posted by: JohnH | 19 December 2013 at 07:05 PM
Well, yes, they do. And if not, what happened to Arafat?
Posted by: Castellio | 19 December 2013 at 07:26 PM
Alexander needs to be fired at the same time. And Sen. Feinstein and Rep. Rogers need to be stripped of their committee chairs for dereliction of their oversight responsibility---they enable the lying.
Posted by: ess emm | 19 December 2013 at 07:39 PM
All of that is meaningless; there would not be a Palestinian state along side of Israel.
Nor will there be a 99-year long Cease-Fire per HAMAS offer.
The time for all of that is gone.
The only people who think that Palestinian state is a possibility are Western Judophiles who prefer a fantasy world than the reality that has been created over the last 50 years by Israelis and their US-enablers.
Posted by: Babak Makkinejad | 20 December 2013 at 11:40 AM
Very true. Meanwhile in the Holy Land:
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/jerusalem-residents-omitted-history
Posted by: Fred | 21 December 2013 at 08:43 AM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Byng
"Byng's execution was satirized by Voltaire in his novel Candide. In Portsmouth, Candide witnesses the execution of an officer by firing squad; and is told that "in this country, it is good to kill an admiral from time to time, in order to encourage the others" (Dans ce pays-ci, il est bon de tuer de temps en temps un amiral pour encourager les autres)."
"The court martial sitting in judgement on Byng acquitted him of personal cowardice and disaffection, and convicted him only for not having done his utmost, since he chose not to pursue the superior French fleet, instead deciding to protect his own.[8] Once the court determined that Byng had "failed to do his utmost", it had no discretion over punishment under the Articles of War, and therefore condemned Byng to death. However, its members recommended that the Lords of the Admiralty ask King George II to exercise his royal prerogative of mercy."
Posted by: Will | 21 December 2013 at 04:43 PM