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Didn't he complain about the Right Wing extremists report that came out? How'd that work for you John?
Cornyn's letter to Obama
Dear President Obama,
I write to express my concern about a new White House program to monitor American citizens' speech opposing your health care policies, and to seek your assurances that this program is being carried out in a manner consistent with the First Amendment and America's tradition of free speech and public discourse.
Yesterday, in an official White House release en led "Facts are Stubborn Things," the White House Director of New Media, Macon Phillips, asserted that there was "a lot of disinformation out there," and encouraged citizens to report "fishy" speech opposing your health care policies to the White House. Phillips specifically targeted private, unpublished, even casual speech, writing that "rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation." Phillips wrote "If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to [email protected]."
I am not aware of any precedent for a President asking American citizens to report their fellow citizens to the White House for pure political speech that is deemed "fishy" or otherwise inimical to the White House's political interests.
By requesting that citizens send "fishy" emails to the White House, it is inevitable that the names, email addresses, IP addresses, and private speech of U.S. citizens will be reported to the White House. You should not be surprised that these actions taken by your White House staff raise the specter of a data collection program. As Congress debates health care reform and other critical policy matters, citizen engagement must not be chilled by fear of government monitoring the exercise of free speech rights.
I can only imagine the level of justifiable outrage had your predecessor asked Americans to forward emails critical of his policies to the White House. I suspect that you would have been leading the charge in condemning such a program-and I would have been at your side denouncing such heavy-handed government action.
So I urge you to cease this program immediately. At the very least, I request that you detail to Congress and the public the protocols that your White House is following to purge the names, email addresses, IP addresses, and iden ies of citizens who are reported to have engaged in "fishy" speech. And I respectfully request an answer to the following:
How do you intend to use the names, email addresses, IP addresses, and iden ies of citizens who are reported to have engaged in "fishy" speech?
How do you intend to notify citizens who have been reported for "fishy" speech?
What action do you intend to take against citizens who have been reported for engaging in "fishy" speech?
Do your own past statements qualify as "disinformation"? For example, is it "disinformation" to note that in 2003 you said:"I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer universal health care plan"?
I look forward to your prompt response.
Sincerely,
JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator
Didn't he complain about the Right Wing extremists report that came out? How'd that work for you John?
Again, why are Republicans concerned about data collection NOW?...Would they rather Obama just had the CIA inspect this all privately?
They were against information being collected on private citizens before they were for it..Again, why are Republicans concerned about data collection NOW?...Would they rather Obama just had the CIA inspect this all privately?
Did Cornyn write dubya when the NYC police went all over America (they worked for "America's Mayor", does that mean they are "America's Police?) to monitor anti-Repug/anti-war "terrorist" groups prior to the 2004 Repub convention in NYC? no.
Yay Obama! He can do no wrong!
You're about the only one who says so.
It's almost unbelievable.
Bush spies on the American people.
Obama asks Americans to report on their fellow citizens.
Americans?
about what the OTHER guy is doing!
Hey everybody: YOUR GOVERNMENT (not the other guy's government) IS HABITUALLY DOING THINGS THAT OUGHT TO CAUSE YOU TO, AT THE VERY LEAST, RAISE YOUR EYEBROWS!!!!
Just because it is somebody you voted for doesn't mean you ought to not pay attention; and because the previous guy did it, doesn't make it right, now - it makes it a tradition!
I don't see any fishy speech capable of having any actual impact on the House or the government, someones are just being too sensitive and what's sad is, their excessive sensitivity may eventually ruin our belief of free speech which makes America a different country than any other one on the earth.
What a bunch of whining pussies.
i think we're supposed to call them anti-american traitors, due to recent history.
You mean fake traitors.
so they're faking, huh.
yes, many of them are.
i'm guessing manufactured fear motivates the rest. thats what works on you guys.
I'm not that concerned about the privacy issue here.
But this is further evidence of how petty and thin-skinned this administration can be.
maybe they want to get everything out in the open......or would you prefer some more WMD evidence?
Would you give Obama a blowjob if he asked you to? You know, for the good of the country and stuff?
do you also wear "Obsession"?
It's a fair letter. Yes, it's convenient that Republicans are suddenly outraged by this sort of thing, and yes it's convenient that Democrats are willing to defend it, but all of that aside, I think Cornyn's concerns are fair, politically motivated as they may be.
The White House should not be asking citizens to tattle on each other. They should be providing an easily accessable guide/FAQ to the Health Care plan and encourage citizens to use this guide to refute false or unfair claims. Sort of a government-sponsored Snopes.com if you will. Put the power to debate in the hands of the people.
Now back to your regularly scheduled cheerleading.
it's ok to come out doobs. you guys should form a support group.
Don't look at me. I ed about Bush doing it, and I about Obama doing it.I'm just amused by the people on this site who suddenly discovered that it might be bad to have the government collect information on people.
Aren't these the same people who said that people shouldn't have anything to fear if they didn't do anything wrong?
I'm guessing that's what this setup was for in the first place. To take actual letters so the WH knows what rumors are going around. That was they can focus their efforts on debunking the popular memes.
Fair enough; but when it goes beyond amusement; and to completely focussing on the hypocricy of the "other" side; well, at that point we have taken our eye off the ball.
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