Obama is holding a press conference at 3 p.m. Eastern today before he leave on an extended vacation.
Expectations are low. He is expected to announce new NSA oversight measures.
[press conference over – video embed removed]
[Twitter feed removed]
Obama prepared remarks on his intelligence community reforms are here.
Some reactions:
Obama says leaks led to discussion of government surveillance in a "passionate but not fully informed way."
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) August 9, 2013
"It's right to ask questions about surveillance." Yay! We got it right!
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) August 9, 2013
Obama: America is not interested in spying on ordinary people
— Charlie Spiering (@charliespiering) August 9, 2013
https://twitter.com/DanFosterType/status/365914092025815042
https://twitter.com/kirstenpowers10/status/365914255486226434
Here's the administration's 23-page white paper on bulk collection of call logs under Patriot Act Section 215 https://t.co/Pz1IZa7QSV
— Charlie Savage (@charlie_savage) August 9, 2013
Obama: "I do not think it's appropriate to boycott the Olympics." That's that – again.
— Rick Klein (@rickklein) August 9, 2013
Obama: "I don't have a bad personal relationship with Putin."
— Rick Klein (@rickklein) August 9, 2013
Chuck Todd: Is Snowden a patriot?
Pres Obama: No, I don't think Mr. Snowden is a patriot.— Julie Mason Mornings (@MasonMornings) August 9, 2013
https://twitter.com/kesgardner/status/365917114340610048
https://twitter.com/AdamSerwer/status/365916808336785410
Obama to @jonkarl: "core al Qaeda is on its heels, has been decimated." but regional groups are now in place, he says
— Rick Klein (@rickklein) August 9, 2013
Depends what the meaning is of "core al Qaeda" – #hesawthatQcoming
— Legal Insurrection (@LegInsurrection) August 9, 2013
'Core' Al Qaeda Closes U.S. Diplomatic Facilities http://t.co/QX17hGN27q by Tom Joscelyn
— John McCormack (@McCormackJohn) August 9, 2013
I cannot get over how nervous these reporters look and act at POTUS presser. Either out of practice or afraid.
— Dana French (@DanaBFrench) August 9, 2013
Obama most engaged when attacking GOP. Went much easier on Putin.
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) August 9, 2013
I have some bad news for Team Shutdown: It just died. GOP won't have the balls after seeing this performance.
— Drew McCoy (@_Drew_McCoy_) August 9, 2013
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Comments
Øbama asking for transparency is hypocritically hilarious, as his references to the Constitution. And liberty. And security. And privacy.
At least we know what a talking horse’s ass looks like…
He still has that list of preapproved correspondents that are allowed to ask him questions.
Pardon me, I meant “…ask preapproved questions.”
Be honest, Professor Jacobson,
Do they give Lawyer Lying Lessons in Law School?
(You know the joke to which I’m referring)
(I have two lawyer daughters and a lawyer nephew and I’ve never dared to ask.)
I do not listen to Obama. Exposure to his ‘messaging’ (substitute any 4 letter word here) might make me have an apoplectic or conniption fit plus destroying brain cells with having to filter out all the cognitive dissonance, obfuscation, dissimulation, etc.
Truly, Obama’s talks on TV ought to be preceded by a DIRE HEALTH WARNING.
“Obama says leaks led to discussion of government surveillance in a “passionate but not fully informed way.”
Ooooo-kay.
How about “leaking” the rest of the information so we can discuss in a “fully informed way”?
LOVED the unintended truth/gaff…
“…we wouldn’t always be able to disguise…” in talking about conflicts with Russia.
ALSO, now that Obama has talked about it, it is fixed.
Whatever it was.
Another day, another lie.
mommie i’m finished come wipe me..
Blah, blah, blah let me be clear blah blah blah the atomosphere around here isn’t normal when it comes to quote unquote obamacare, blah blah blah obamacare is working blah blah blah it is a priority to get those who killed four americans blah blah blah republicans are bad and evil blah blah blah the middle class blah blah blah
excuse me while I throw up
Perfect transcript. (May I offer you a towelette?)
[…] Try to stay awake. The usual Obama publicity stunt on a Friday before vacation is on. Most everyone is likely to write an Open thread: Obama presser type article/blog entry to […]
I really hate auto-play videos :-/
Someone should ask him “Why should we trust you with the NSA data when you have betrayed that trust with the IRS and Benghazi? When you lie over and over?”
How can we trust you to enforce any law we pass when you have proven to that you ignore laws and govern by presidential fiat?
Sorry Prof – I have NEVER watched an Odumbo press conference, and I certainly won’t start watching now. He gives me the creeps.
so, the president didn’t unilaterally suspend part of a law, he did it in concert with business leaders from around the country (his donors)? That’s good to know. I think I will suspend the speed limit for myself after consulting with my friends in the racing community
Yes, and if enough people get upset about his lawlessness, he’ll thoroughly investigate himself and issue a report exonerating himself of any wrongdoing.
Just like so many other members of his administration have done.
Are you seeing anyone other than commenters on blogs, and bloggers themselves talk about this? Chris Christie? Trey Gowdy? Ted Cruz? Rand Paul? Nada. You would think that Congress would be throwing a fit, but they aren’t. Why? Because it is all about power, and maintaining it. No matter if they have a D or R behind their name.
Y’know I vacationed in New England this year. One of the guides at Lexington made a point that what the colonists were really upset about was the disconnect between themselves, the monarchy, and the court (not court of law), and the last straw was when the British tried to seize their firearms. The founders would have been shooting by now. why are we still dinking around with Republicans who are fine with Big Government as long as they can enjoy the perks associated with it?
I don’t have much patience for Obama to begin with but I wanted to throw a tomato at the TV screen listening to his shrill tone and utter disdain for the R’s when he spoke about how they don’t want any healthcare. Once, just once, I’d love a reporter to say to his face “lies, what a pack of lies you arrogant man you.” Okay, unrealistic wish, but I didn’t win the PowerBall so I’m a little bitter still! 🙂
“We knew USG would come after us”. That’s why Silent Circle CEO Michael Janke tells TechCrunch his company shut down its Silent Mail encrypted email service. It hadn’t been told to provide data to the government, but after Lavabit shut down today rather than be “complicit” with NSA spying, Silent Circle told customers it has killed off Silent Mail rather than risk their privacy.
The Silent Circle blog posts explains “We see the writing the wall, and we have decided that it is best for us to shut down Silent Mail now.” It’s especially damning considering Silent Circle’s co-founder and president is Phil Zimmermann, the inventor of widely-used email encryption program Pretty Good Privacy.
Reform. Ask a Cambodian about reform in 1978.
The video embeds are fine, if you can make them not auto-play.
I would really love to know how many people (press people in the room included) take Obama’s press conferences seriously: as in
(1) is he telling the truth about the past, and
(2) is what he says he’ll do in the future, a reasonable prediction of what he’ll actually do in the future.
Pretty clearly, nobody outside the USA takes Obama seriously – from the average German to the average Egyptian or member of Al-Quaeda.
I listened to the Obama ‘press conference’ on the radio and had almost begun to feel sorry for the hapless boob when I grabbed me by the throat and slapped the shit out of me before that could happen.
This clown’s tank is very nearly empty. How prophetic, Clint Eastwood’s empty chair.
Maybe worse. I saw a pic of them talking lots of empty chairs away.
Other than that I did listen to a few sections & am very much looking forward to Putin’s reply. He is likely in the Kremlin pondering the gilded walls & thinking – this is too easy . One karate chop to the neck & it would be over. No no Vlad – easy is not always the best option.
Sorry guys but I am rootin for Putin in this one. But I feel your pain.
“Expectations are low.”
Yep, low expectations delivered!
It’s a free country. Anyone wanted to run around in the “rubber chicken circuit looking for voters” is more than welcome to do so.
If Hillary can claim title to a presidential nominations, whose to say there aren’t republicans also making big claims?
2016 is a long way off.
And, the more people who actually compete in this circuit, the merrier.
Plus, you can always vote for Ralph Nader. He’s aiming to run more often that Harold Stassen? It’s not as if anyone can predict anything about the future.
Oops. I had meant the above for the Santorum link.
As to Obama’s presser, it should looks like Ed Snowden got under his skin.