Outside the Beltway

The latest chapter in an all too familiar story.

A pretty clear violation of the First Amendment.

From the beginning, the Tea Party has shown itself to be just plain bad at picking candidates. This year, they finally seem to be on the verge of paying for it in the GOP primaries

I’m uneasy about a world in which a private conversation, illegally recorded, can be used in this fashion.

Republicans attack an attorney for doing his job. So much for that whole “constitutional conservative” thing, I guess.

Thanks to Edward Snowden, the Washington Post and the Guardian are Pulitzer Prize winners.

Bill Clinton seems far more understanding of Edward Snowden than the current President

Calling anyone a front-runner in a race where we’re still two years away from anyone casting votes is silly. Nonetheless, Rand Paul is an interesting guy to watch for those wondering if the GOP has actually changed.

If something is going to be done about an out of control National Security State, it’ll be because the American people demand it.

The Queen of Corona Edition OTB Caption Contest^TM is now over.

The “paper of record” joins the call for some kind of deal with Edward Snowden.

The Elfish Presley Edition OTB Caption Contest^TM is now over.

.Many have tried to justify N.S.A. data mining on the theory that it could have prevented 9/11. Is that true?

Another Federal District Court ruling on the Constitutionality of the NSA’s data mining program, this time more favorable to the NSA.

In a new interview, Edward Snowden explains his motives for absconding from the country with NSA secrets.

Newly disclosed details about the US role in Colombia.

Does a determination that NSA data collection practices are likely unconstitutional mean that Edward Snowden’s actions were, in some sense, justified?

A potentially big legal setback for a big National Security Agency program.

Without a deal of some kind, it’s quite likely that Edward Snowden will remain beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement or some time to come.

Not surprisingly, Time’s editors chose Pope Francis as Person Of The Year. However, Edward Snowden arguably would have been the better choice.

An unusual challenge to the NSA’s data mining program reaches its expected end in the Supreme Court.

NSA Director General Keith Alexander really doesn’t like the idea of a free press.

According to reports, the President had no idea that the NSA was listening to the phone calls of foreign leaders until this summer.

The latest revelations about National Security Agency surveillance outside the United States have caused quite an uproar overseas.

:Like his predecessors, President Obama’s speech last night exaggerated the threat that Syria poses in order to sell his plan to American voters.

Discussion of privacy really ought to be focused on the legal regime, not technical capabilities.

Prism ain’t got nothin’ on the Hemisphere Project.

Raymond Pritchett longs for the good old days of Tom Donilan, Hillary Clinton, and Leon Panetta.

Courts gave the NSA broad powers to intercept overseas communications of Americans . . . 30 years ago.

My latest for The National Interest, “Clapper’s Bodyguard of Lies,” has posted.

Surprisingly, many pundits on the left don’t seem too thrilled about the idea of a Senator Cory Booker.

President Obama is doing precisely what Senator Obama warned us about.

The government contractor that conducted Edward Snowden’s background investigation faces criminal indictment.

A husband and wife do unrelated, and perfectly innocent, Google searches, and get a visit from the FBI.