Sen. Feinstein: Snowden's leaks are 'treason'
Source: The Hill
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Monday said the 29-year-old man who leaked information about two national security programs is guilty of treason.
Feinstein said former National Security Agency Edward Snowden she doesnt see him as a hero or a whistle blower.
I don't look at this as being a whistleblower. I think it's an act of treason, the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee told reporters.
The California lawmaker went on to say that Snowden had violated his oath to defend the Constitution.
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/defcon-hill/policy-and-strategy/304573-sen-feinstein-snowdens-leaks-are-treason#ixzz2VrDGr64S
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/defcon-hill/policy-and-strategy/304573-sen-feinstein-snowdens-leaks-are-treason
Thank you Senator Feinstein for standing up for the Fourth Amendment and for civil liberties, and for not overreacting to a leak that does not paint your oversight in a very good light. How can we have a reasoned debate on the issues when Feinstein is throwing around words like "treason"?
mike_c
(36,281 posts)Unless she agrees with the Orwellian view that everyone who isn't us is our enemy, and we're not real sure about us, either.
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)CA can do a lot better.
warrant46
(2,205 posts)leveymg
(36,418 posts)Not.
Voted YES on extending the PATRIOT Act's roving wiretaps. (Feb 2011)
Voted NO on requiring FISA court warrant to monitor US-to-foreign calls. (Feb 2008)
Voted YES on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad. (Aug 2007)
Voted YES on reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act. (Mar 2006)
Voted YES on designating Iran's Revolutionary Guards as terrorists. (Sep 2007)
Voted NO on redeploying troops out of Iraq by July 2007. (Jun 2006)
Voted YES on $86 billion for military operations in Iraq & Afghanistan. (Oct 2003)
Voted YES on authorizing use of military force against Iraq. (Oct 2002)
Voted YES on authorizing the PATRIOT Act. (Oct 2001)
derby378
(30,252 posts)indepat
(20,899 posts)Constitution of the United States with her every vote, even the vote to launch a pre-emptive war seeming to fit the war of aggression nomenclature as stipulated under International Law and Treaty.
leveymg
(36,418 posts)truedelphi
(32,324 posts)She made sure that the entire Code of Ethics in the Senate was revised so she could vote in a war, and then less than a year later, her Sweetums, one Richard Blum had made the couple over 27 million dollars on his war contracts.
She needs to be dropped off in a depleted uranium area of Iraq and left for the civilians there to deal with her. And she should have Sweetums with her when the drop off is made.
indepat
(20,899 posts)warrant46
(2,205 posts)OrwellwasRight
(5,170 posts)She heads the Intelligence Panel and no longer questions any of the activities of the intelligence community. If she was not so tight with them, might she not have a different POV?
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)Thank God we still have Boxer. Can't wait for Feinstein to retire.
KoKo
(84,711 posts)Report documents military contracts for firms owned by senator's husband
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has abruptly walked away from her responsibilities with the Senate Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee after a report linked her votes to the financial well-being of her husbands companies, which received billions of dollars worth of military construction contracts she approved.
As reported in Metroactive, an online report from the Silicon Valley, Feinsteins resignation followed six years of subcommittee work during which time her alleged conflict of interest stemmed from her husband Richard C. Blums ownership of Perini Corp. and URS Corp.
Feinstein, chairman and ranking member of the subcommittee, regularly reviewed and accepted contracts from her husbands companies for not only construction work for military bases, but also addressing quality of life issues for the veterans of the United States military services.
As MILCON leader, Feinstein relished the details of military construction, even micromanaging one project at the level of its sewer design, wrote Peter Byrne in the report. She regularly took junkets to military bases around the world to inspect construction projects, some of which were contracted to her husbands companies, Perini Corp. and URS Corp.
He suggested perhaps Feinstein resigned because she could not take the heat generated by metros expose of her ethics Or was her work on the subcommittee finished because Blum divested ownership of his military construction and advanced weapons manufacturing firms in late 2005?
The writer also noted another reason could be that since that subcommittee is responsible for veterans quality of life issues, perhaps she was trying to distance herself from the militarys failure to provide decent medical care for wounded servicemembers.
Feinstein abandoned MILCON as her ethical problems were surfacing in the media, and as it was becoming clear that her subcommittee left grievously wounded veterans to rot while her family was profiting from the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. It turns out that Blum also holds large investments in companies that were selling medical equipment and supplies and real estate leases often without the benefit of competitive bidding to the Department of Veterans Affairs, even as the system of medical care for veterans collapsed on his wifes watch, he wrote.
The Metroactive report, based on research partly funded by the Investigative Fund of the Nation Institute, noted that as of the end of 2006, federal documents showed three companies in which Blums financial entities owned a total of $1 billion in stock got $17.8 million for medical equipment and supplies (Boston Scientific Corp.), $12 million for medical supplies and equipment (Kinetic Concepts Inc.), and additional funding through lease contracts (CB Richard Ellis).
You would think that, considering all the money Feinsteins family has pocketed by waging global warfare while ignoring the plight of wounded American soldiers, she would show a smidgeon of shame and resign from the entire Senate, not just a subcommittee, Byrne wrote. Conversely, youd think she might stick around MILCON to try and fix the medical-care disaster she helped to engineer for the vets who were suckered into fighting her and Bushs panoply of unjust wars.
Byrne earlier had documented the connections between the dollars Feinstein voted on and the revenue for Blums companies.
From 1997 through 2005 Blum, with Feinsteins knowledge, was a majority owner in both URS Corp. and Perini Corp., both of which were regularly among the companies awarded major military contracts proposed by the Department of Defense.
According to those reports, from 2001 to 2005, URS earned $792 million from military construction and environmental cleanup work approved by MILCON, while Perini collected $759 million for the same.
Feinsteins annual Public Financial Disclosure Reports record sizeable family income from investments in the Framingham, Mass.-based Perini and the San Francisco-located URS. But there was no acknowledgment of any conflict of interest, according to Metroactive, a Northern California meta-site that specializes in arts and entertainment information from area publications: Metro, Silicon Valleys Weekly Newspaper; Metro Santa Cruz; and the North Bay Bohemian.
Byrne also reported Michael R. Klein, an adviser to Feinstein and business partner with Blum, said that starting in 1997 he routinely told Feinstein about federal projects coming before her in which Perini had a stake, in order for her to avoid those votes and as such, a conflict of interest.
However, instead of withholding a vote, she did act on those pieces of legislation, Byrne reported. Ultimately, the Congressional Record shows that as chairperson and ranking member of MILCON, Feinstein was often involved in supervising the legislative details of military construction projects that directly affected Blums defense-contracting firms, Byrnes report said.
Sen. Feinstein has had a serious conflict of interest, a serious insensitivity to ethical considerations, Wendell Rawls, of the Center for Public Integrity in Washington, told Metroactive. The very least she should have done is to recuse herself from having conversations, debates, voting or any other kind of legislative activity that involved either Perini Corp. or URS Corp. or any other business activity where her husbands financial were involved.
One example was that in 2005, MILCON approved a Pentagon plan to fund overhead coverage force protection for Iraq to reinforce the roofs of U.S. Army barracks. About three months later, Perini announced an award of a $185 million contract to provide overhead coverage force protection to the Army in Iraq.
Byrne noted when Blum divested ownership of URS and Perini in 2005, the conflict of interest was resolved. But Feinsteins ethical dilemma arose from the fact that, for five years, the interests of Perini and URS and CB Richard Ellis were inextricably entwined with her leadership of MILCON .
The investigation examined thousands of pages of documents, including transcripts of hearings in Congress, filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and reports and government audits as well as corporate press releases.
The result? The paper trails showing Sen. Feinsteins conflict of interest is irrefutable, according to Danielle Brian, of the Project on Government Oversight.
Because of the amount of money involved, said Melanie Sloan, of the Citizens for Responsible Ethics in Washington, Feinsteins conflict of interest is an order of magnitude greater than [other] conflicts [involving U.S. Rep. John T. Doolittle, former Speaker Dennis Hastert and others].
In 2005, Roll Call calculated Feinsteins wealth at $40 million, up $10 million from just a year earlier. Reports show her family earned between $500,000 and $5 million from capital gains on URS and Perini stock. From CB Richard Ellis, her husband earned from $1.3 million to $4 million.
Public records show Blums company paid $4 a share for controlling interest in Perini, and later sold about three million shares for $23.75 each.
The report also showed URS military construction work in 2000 was only $24 million, but the next year, when Feinstein took over as MILCON chair, military construction earned URS $185 million. Additionally, its military construction architectural and engineering revenue rose from $108,000 in 2000 to $142 million in 2001, a thousand-fold increase.
In late 2005, Blum sold 5.5 million URS shares, worth $220 million, the report said
http://www.alipac.us/f9/dianne-feinstein-quits-committee-under-war-profiteer-cloud-report-documents-278801/
mattvermont
(646 posts)blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)We're just seeing what was always under the mask.
hobbit709
(41,694 posts)OrwellwasRight
(5,170 posts)avaistheone1
(14,626 posts)That is she did so on behalf of her husband Richard Blum.
We People
(619 posts)rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)bbgrunt
(5,281 posts)Mnemosyne
(21,363 posts)closeupready
(29,503 posts)Octafish
(55,745 posts)Warmongers are the real traitors.
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)nradisic
(1,362 posts)I will only support individual progressive candidates...the rest can go pound salt. Time to retire DiFi
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)OrwellwasRight
(5,170 posts)Baucus, Nelson, all the DINOs. I'm with you 100%. Until they realize how they vote matters more than simply the "team" that they are on, there is no incentive for them to change. DiFi is the perfect example. California is not a "red" state. She does not have to be a national security hawk to keep her seat. She does it because she likes to.
I give to those who vote with the working class, and for civil rights and liberties.
Dawson Leery
(19,348 posts)Yes, Difi should be impeached for corruption.
still_one
(92,422 posts)what John Walker and Jerry whitworth treason?
I think it is too early to know, but the question is did the release of this information make us more vulnerable to our enemies? That is really what it centers on.
OrwellwasRight
(5,170 posts)Too judgmental of her, in my opinion.
There is a legitmate argument that says that engaging in this non-individualized, no probable cause syping is what is treason. But her pronouncement cuts off that part of the debate.
still_one
(92,422 posts)Other issues or motives which had nothing to do with national security
I need more information for myself
But what do I know, Iraq had wmds, right?
sulphurdunn
(6,891 posts)She is merely poisoning the well. A lot of that is going on with national corporate media right now. It isn't unreasonable to expect a more measured response from a US senator. Her detractors are right, I think. She's pitiful.
Posteritatis
(18,807 posts)still_one
(92,422 posts)as did he violate the law
I think we need to know more in that area too
I agree these grandiose statements from politicians are not constructive
Faryn Balyncd
(5,125 posts)DCBob
(24,689 posts)"Treason can include revealing to an antagonistic country secrets such as the design of a bomber being built by a private company for the Defense Department. Treason may include "espionage" (spying for a foreign power or doing damage to the operation of the government and its agencies, particularly involved in security)"
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/treason
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)Nominations are now being taken for someone to run against her from the left next time out. With our shiny new "top two" primary system, the general election could well come down to DinoFi and a Democrat.
OrwellwasRight
(5,170 posts)Are there any real possibilities as candidates? Might she just retire? She is up there in years . . .
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)She gave the black box voting machine companies no quarter!
OrwellwasRight
(5,170 posts)TDale313
(7,820 posts)Debra Bowen has been great. I would do absolutely all I could to support her. That said, unseating DiFi will not be easy. She's still incredibly popular here in CA. It'd be a tough fight, but one well worth having.
We can't get rid of her. She gets 80% of the SF vote. I cannot for the life of me figure out why. She's HORRIBLE and needs to retire NOW. She's always been a DINO, for as long as I can remember.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)in general elections, and no-names in the primaries. But now with the new top-two system, the second-highest vote-getter could well be a (real) Dem.
Sirveri
(4,517 posts)We break 60-40 at most for Dems, 2nd highest will always be a repuke in every district other than the most partisan ones. State isn't partisan enough.
OrwellwasRight
(5,170 posts)And we finally got the needed 2/3 majority in the State Legislature. I'm not sure you're right. I think time will tell.
Sirveri
(4,517 posts)State Senate:
D9 Alameda had a run off between the Dem and Peace and Freedom candidate (it's also one of the most partisan districts in the state)
D13 Dem vs Dem (San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties)
D15 D vs D (Santa Clara County)
D33 D vs PF (LA)
39 total, but only odd numbered counties
State Assembly:
D1 R vs R (Butte, Shasta, etc...)
D2 D vs D (Humboldt, etc...)
D5 R vs R (Mono, Placer, etc...)
D6 R vs R (Sac, Placer, etc...)
D10 D vs D (Marin, Sonoma)
D14 D unopposed (This is my district, Contra Costa)
D15 D vs PF (Alameda, CC)
D18 D vs D (Alameda)
D19 D vs D (SF, San Mateo)
D20 D vs D (Alameda)
D23 R vs R (Fresno, Tulare)
D39 D vs D (LA)
D47 D vs D (San Bernadino)
D50 D vs D (LA)
D51 D vs D (LA)
D59 D vs D (LA)
D62 D vs D (LA)
D64 D Unopposed (LA)
D67 R vs R (Riverside)
D72 R vs R (Orange)
D76 R vs R (San Diego)
Out of 80 Districts.
So 4 out of 20 Senate races where between Leftist groups (which we were already going to win)
14 out of 80 assembly races, 2 were unopposed (which we obviously were going to win)
R's get 7 out of 80 assembly races. (Which they were going to win)
So the inland agricultural areas vote hard Republican, the major urban and metro areas vote hard Liberal. This shouldn't be much of a surprise (San Diego surprised me, but I suspect that's one of the more affluent suburbs of the county, the county itself split 3-3). Why are we unlikely to see a Federal Senate D vs D run off. The Repugs put up a candidate and gave her ZERO support and funding, and simply because she had an R next to her name she pulled enough votes to make the ballot, combined with Feinsteins name recognition, and you're not going to split the Dem vote enough to break the 37.5% the R pulled. Hell even Alameda country voted 18% for the Republican.
OrwellwasRight
(5,170 posts)I guess we have different standards.
Prop 187 killed the Republican party statewide in CA.
Sirveri
(4,517 posts)Not really sure what immigration reform had to do with killing the repukes in the state, maybe biasing the Latino population against them. But that was before my time, I was 14 when that passed.
DJ13
(23,671 posts)That would include you Senator.
dkf
(37,305 posts)Tx4obama
(36,974 posts)From Wiki...
-snip-
In United States law, treason, espionage, and spying are separate crimes, the former two of which have graduated punishment levels, the latter for which death is a mandatory sentence.
-snip-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espionage#Law
Leopolds Ghost
(12,875 posts)Until I picked up the paper and saw Feinstein's ugly mug.
Doesn't matter if it was approved in a secret court, backed up by unconstitutional legislation with secret provisions.
It's still treason since it is a gross violation of the Bill of Rights, which are natural rights mind you, that all people
are entitled to defend these rights for themselves, regardless of what some secret court says.
Gregorian
(23,867 posts)WestStar
(202 posts)Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
OrwellwasRight
(5,170 posts)Love it!
cascadiance
(19,537 posts)They need to come back like now!
Is that Jacqueline Bisset? Such a beauty from the 60's...
DiFi needs to go!
Her buddy Jane Harman who she's tried to champion as candidate for security positions in Obama's cabinet, and who helped the Bush administration stop a wiretapping story from coming out before Bush got reelected is now gone (THANK YOU!). Time for you to join her and stop being a pseudo Democrat!
Next time we'll get a senator from California that will stand up for fixing the filibuster so that a bill they sponsor for regulating assault weapons will have a REAL chance at passing, not stand against it so that you can just have political theater for it and still stay substantively a corporatist DINO that works against rank and file Democrats' interests.
So much happy with both Wyden and Merkley in the state I am now both taking a strong stand in trying to help protect our privacy and helping the public hear about the abuses.
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)in Washington the DC. Few are fighting for the 99%.
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)Laelth
(32,017 posts)-Laelth
jessie04
(1,528 posts)now she's a blue dog DINO and many hate her.
And maybe she's got a lot more knowledge than some of us have.
Give her a break.
OrwellwasRight
(5,170 posts)But I do think many were pleasantly surprosed by the AWB move. She seems to have been moving to the right for a long while.
These issues are not easy. But on this one, I disagree with her rush to judgment.
jessie04
(1,528 posts)who hasn't thrown her under the bus.
Is it a rush to judgment? I don't know but she knows what was released in detail and knows far more than most of us here.
I'm cutting her some slack.
lancer78
(1,495 posts)what most people forget was that she was one of the democrats who voted against filibuster reforem, thereby guaranteeing that the AWB would not pass. She is a corrupt political hack who only gets support around here because of the D after her name.
OrwellwasRight
(5,170 posts)I don't understand one single Democrat who opposed filibuster reform. We are our own worst enemies--that is, if you think we even qualify as a coherent political party.
still_one
(92,422 posts)would be prudent for her to keep quiet for now
JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)bowens43
(16,064 posts)you are one of the traitors who voted to allow that American government to ignore the constitution.......
you're opinion isn't worth shit
okaawhatever
(9,462 posts)pretty naïve to think he went to China without secrets he was planning to turn over to them. He said outright in his interview that he had lists of all our agents and foreign assets the world over. I said before that's like the winning lottery ticket of classified info. Of course, it would be what could get the most people killed, but this guy doesn't seem to worried about that. Every agent we have and every asset we have is in danger. Hopefully, the nsa and cia will be able to identify exactly what was stolen.
Ash_F
(5,861 posts)Handing this country to the pubs on a silver platter....
W T F
(1,148 posts)cascadiance
(19,537 posts)Deep13
(39,154 posts)Snowden did not wage war on the USA, nor did he provide material aid and comfort to our enemies. He published words, which as far as I can see is protected speech and press under the 1st Amendment. OTOH, can anyone find where the Constitution protects the right of the govt. to keep secrets from its own people or to invade their privacy en mass? Me neither.
grasswire
(50,130 posts)Judge and jury both, is she?
Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.
nineteen50
(1,187 posts)then gave the power of declaring war to the executive branch violating the direction of the constitution she swore to uphold.
asjr
(10,479 posts)afraid to add to it. First, I am not defending NSA. Surely something could have been done better. But, this guy Snowden, if that is his actual name, sounds very much someone who wants to be a big man on campus. He has little education, he didn't last long in the military service, his employer was not the NSA. His employer's name sounds more like a whiskey maker/exporter than anything else. He spills the beans, flies off to China of all places, has an interview about what he has done and says he knows he will never go back to the U.S. I understand he may be trying to seek asylum in Iceland or maybe it's Finland. Anyone else who did what he did would quietly leave town, telling no one where he was going and when he got there hide out. I have no idea if this was all his idea or whether someone paid him to do it. I just know that I have an uneasy feeling about him. But I do know one thing--if this NSA business is to continue they have a better hiring system.
Caretha
(2,737 posts)first I don't believe some 29 year old working for one of the abc entities could have poop after 3 months working for them....
first he has no education
second no training...hell he's still on probation
this story is very very weird.
LTX
(1,020 posts)The mob found a witch, and by golly, she weighs more than a duck.
OrwellwasRight
(5,170 posts)If he is faking it all, then he certainly did not commit treason, so why is Senator Feinstein prejudging his case? If it's fishy, shouldn't she be saying so?
I don't think it is this crowd that is unfairly riled up here.
Leopolds Ghost
(12,875 posts)Which is located across the street from the NSA, connected to it by a private road
(you read that right, they have a special road built just for a private corporation to access a military base)
truebluegreen
(9,033 posts)Nanjing to Seoul
(2,088 posts)Harmony Blue
(3,978 posts)and blount to the point too!
Niceguy1
(2,467 posts)Am emdarrasedto be a Californian. We can do better.
Arctic Dave
(13,812 posts)She needs to put a sock in her pie hole.
alp227
(32,060 posts)Adam-Bomb
(90 posts)Nor have we for quite a while, it now seems.
olddad56
(5,732 posts)OrwellwasRight
(5,170 posts)The acts DiFi didn't do anything about and often supported, right (going to war based on a lie, PATRIOT ACT, etc.)?
magellan
(13,257 posts)That's the sense I get from the way the Dems refused to stand up to those treasonous bastards. Most of them are too involved in the lies themselves to shine that light.
Heathen57
(573 posts)this information did it to alert the American public just what the government was doing to destroy their rights to privacy, and in such a sweeping manner that it reminds one of the KGB and how it treated the privacy of the Soviet citizens.
Feinstein calls what he did treason. And the definition of treason is giving aid to the enemy. So Ms. Feinstein has come out and admitted the congress, including some dems, think of the citizens of the US are the enemy.
DirkGently
(12,151 posts)nvme
(860 posts)WE VILIFIED THE USSR FOR THEIR TACTICS. WE SCOOP EVERYONE'S RECORDS WITHOUT CONTENT OF THE CONVERSATION. AS I POST THIS DOES THIS MEAN I AM ON THE NSA's hit list? We really should start impeaching the the crooked fucks! Sen. Diane F is ok with illegal search and seizure. So while that traitorous bitch selling us out to the th chicken shits on the right. Wow. This is sad what our government has become
kickysnana
(3,908 posts)David__77
(23,520 posts)California Democrats will select a more progressive-minded successor - of that, I'm confident. She is a relic of another era in California politics, with her Cold War mentality.
nomorenomore08
(13,324 posts)About the only half-decent thing about DiFi anymore is her stance on gun control. But even that's a matter of right-thing-for-the-wrong-reason, i.e. she only favors it because she's an authoritarian.
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)"How can we have a reasoned debate on the issues when Feinstein is throwing around words like "treason"?"
The same way, I'd imagine, as when we throw around words such as "authoritarian", "Orwellian", and "fascist" in regards to the same story.
But I'm guessing that everyone who does indeed feel compelled to resort to melodrama labels in place of substance will justify their own use of it whilst trivializing its use by others.
Dash87
(3,220 posts)See how that works?
Having no money = treason.
Having money but doing the same thing = light tap on the wrist
madrchsod
(58,162 posts)dirty dianne the military industrial complex`s best friend in america.
WRH2
(87 posts)Surprised to agree with glen beck's opinion on this issue.
there are alot of strange bed fellows on this chain of events
DCKit
(18,541 posts)Obviously she and her family will never have enough money to finally begin to think about doing her damn job and representing the people.
Oh, the hypocrisy.
usGovOwesUs3Trillion
(2,022 posts)Major Hogwash
(17,656 posts)He took an oath and violated it.
OrwellwasRight
(5,170 posts)Leopolds Ghost
(12,875 posts)I can name.
fujiyama
(15,185 posts)for the three worst pieces of legislation since the turn of the century:
1) Bush tax cuts
2) Patriot Act
3) Iraq War Resolution
I consider war profiteering a treasonous crime. Fuck this woman. She's up there with Lieberman. She has absolutely no integrity whatsoever. She's an authoritarian and her only concern is for herself and her fellow 1%ers.
Dr Fate
(32,189 posts)She knows that if she can't spy on us now, she will just have to spy on us even more after the next 911.
Sounds reasonable enough to me.
JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)At least, more treason than Snowden's doing the right thing and exposing the surveillance beast (even more than it has already been).
Did she vote for NDAA 2012? That would be a pretty good definition of treason, certainly relative to Snowden's act.
Anyway, she should look it up in the Constitution. Luckily they made it very hard to indict for treason, no doubt anticipating that it would otherwise be used constantly by two-bit McCarthyite demagogues like Diane Feinstein, most unerringly true bootlicker to the military-industrial-intel-perpetual war complex.