Podcast: Julian Sanchez of CATO on ‘Least Untruthful’ Answer by James Clapper

Let’s face it – whether or not he had a good reason – James Clapper lied in front of Congress. The “least untruthful” answer given before the revelation over the NSA Prism program, could have certainly been handled by Clapper in a better manner.

A simple “this is not the appropriate setting, but I would be happy to discuss this in a closed setting” would have sufficed. However, he did not say that and instead chose to take the road that all of the Obama administration officials seem to have taken – they lie.

Furthermore, this idea that oversight by Congress and the Judicial branches of government have made these and other programs fall within constitutional parameters, is nothing short of nonsensical.

Only a handful of congressional members are privy to such information, and even if one did have a problem with the conduct of the government, they are sworn to secrecy and could no more have the option to leak it to the federal government than Mr. Edward Snowden without having to worry themselves over certain death from a drone strike.

Below is the video – courtesy of Caleb Brown, director of multimedia at CATO Institute, which is a nearly identical to the podcast.