A member of Congress asks the director of national intelligence if the National Security Agency collects data on millions of Americans. "No, sir," James Clapper responds. Pressed, he adds a caveat: "Not wittingly." Then, NSA programs that do precisely that are disclosed, writes Liz Sidotti for AP.
"It turns out that President Barack Obama's intelligence chief lied. Or as he put it last week: 'I responded in what I thought was the most truthful or least most untruthful manner, by saying, 'No,' because the program was classified. The White House stands by him. Press secretary Jay Carney says Obama "certainly believes that Director Clapper has been straight and direct in the answers that he's given." If there have been repercussions, the public doesn't know about them." Read more
