[Peace-discuss] Pres. Obama: Tap Sen. Ron Wyden to Head the NSA

[Robert Naiman]

Did you know that since the NSA was founded in 1952, it's never been headed
by a civilian?

"But Binney said he would like to see the agency's management handed over
to a civilian. Since its founding in 1952, the NSA, part of the Department
of Defense, has always had a military leader."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/17/keith-alexander-nsa-whistle-blowers_n_4118294.html



On Sat, Oct 19, 2013 at 7:17 PM, C. G. Estabrook <cge at shout.net> wrote:

> Put a liberal face on the same policies. It's the Obama Way.
>
>
> On Oct 19, 2013, at 3:36 PM, "Robert Naiman" <noreply at list.moveon.org>
> wrote:
>
> > Dear C. G. Estabrook,
> >
> > Gen. Keith Alexander is stepping down as head of the National Security
> Agency. Fresh, civilian leadership is needed at the NSA to ensure that the
> NSA's surveillance activities fully comply with the letter and spirit of
> the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and all U.S. laws.
> >
> > Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee,
> has been a consistent and vocal critic of blanket NSA surveillance of
> Americans that violates the basic civil liberties guarantees of the U.S.
> Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Senator Wyden is an ideal candidate to
> restore public confidence in NSA compliance with the Constitution, the Bill
> of Rights, and all U.S. laws.
> >
> > Help us sway President Obama by signing and sharing our petition:
> >
> >
> http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/pres-obama-tap-sen-ron?mailing_id=16259&source=s.icn.em.cr&%3Br_by=1135580&r_by=2656067
> >
> >
> > Here's our rap to meet two predictable objections to our campaign:
> >
> > "It's not realistic." No-one's offering even odds that Ron Wyden will be
> the next head of the NSA. The point is to open political space by waging
> preemptive psychological warfare against the idea that someone is
> disqualified from heading the NSA if they are a civilian who believes that
> the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are good law that apply to the
> national security state. Just as our campaign for Jeff Sachs to be
> President of the World Bank opened political space for the idea that the
> President of the World Bank can be a development expert rather than a
> banker or a politician, so this campaign will open political space for the
> idea that the head of the NSA can be a civilian who believes in the rule of
> law.
> >
> > "We need more than a new person at the top to reform the NSA." This is
> beyond dispute. (Also true, obviously, about the World Bank.) It should
> also be beyond dispute that it's easier for people to grab onto an
> individual who represents an idea than it is for them to grab onto a
> technical reform. If you advocate that Elizabeth Warren head the Fed or the
> SEC, everyone knows what you're talking about: cracking down on corruption
> in high finance. This is about bringing the national security state into
> transparent compliance with the rule of law.
> >
> > Now that you understand our strategy, can you help us advance it by
> signing and sharing our petition?
> >
> >
> http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/pres-obama-tap-sen-ron?mailing_id=16259&source=s.icn.em.cr&%3Br_by=1135580&r_by=2656067
> >
> > Thanks for all you do to help force the national security state to
> transparently comply with the rule of law,
> >
> > Robert Naiman
> > Just Foreign Policy
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > This message was sent to C. G. Estabrook by Robert Naiman through
> MoveOn's public petition website. MoveOn Political Action licensed and paid
> for this service, but does not endorse contents of this message. To
> unsubscribe or report this email as inappropriate, click here:
> http://petitions.moveon.org/unsub.html?i=16259-2656067-m9neMK
> >
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> >
>
>


-- 
Robert Naiman
Policy Director
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
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