OPINION:
Former Vice President Dick Cheney was on “Fox News Sunday” on June 16, and one of the topics was the National Security Agency surveillance program. Mr. Cheney related how and why the program was originally implemented after Sept. 11, 2001, and I have no problem that. The problem I have with Mr. Cheney and others cheerleading the current NSA surveillance program is that they do not have current information to back up their claims. As for Mr. Cheney, he has been out of office for more than four years and admitted he has no current knowledge about the program.
A new administration has made changes to the program, and naturally, they are all classified for obvious reasons, so how can anyone really know outside of NSA what is going on today?
Mr. Cheney also stated he has no access to the surveillance program, but has total confidence in those who are running it. I am guessing they are Republican appointees and good men, but if that is the only reasoning for Mr. Cheney’s statement, it isn’t good enough. Wasn’t the head of the Internal Revenue Service who testified before Congress a Republican appointee? He didn’t take the Fifth to make himself look guilty, but instead took Sgt. Schultz’s “I know nothing” approach so he wouldn’t incriminate himself.
Call me cynical, but looking at all of the current scandals and what we know about them, I don’t think I want to put my faith in a politician, past or present, who states, it’s all OK because I know the people who are running it.
RON WOOTTERS
Lambertville, N.J.
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