It's a good moment to think again about the words uttered by, at that moment, vice president Cheney on September 16, 2001:
(at that time published on whitehouse.gov)
http://web.archive.org/web/20011116191708/http://www.whiteho...
"We also have to work, though, sort of the dark side, if you will. We've got to spend time in the shadows in the intelligence world. A lot of what needs to be done here will have to be done quietly, without any discussion, using sources and methods that are available to our intelligence agencies, if we're going to be successful."
And, for the opposing view, also to think about the 2006 speech of then senator Obama:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfX7RI7DGI8
"No President is above the law. I am voting against Mr. Hayden in the hope that he will be more humble before the great weight of responsibility that he has not only to protect our lives but to protect our democracy.
Americans fought a Revolution in part over the right to be free from unreasonable searches -- to ensure that our Government could not come knocking in the middle of the night for no reason. We need to find a way forward to make sure we can stop terrorists while protecting the privacy and liberty of innocent Americans. We have to find a way to give the President the power he needs to protect us, while making sure he does not abuse that power. It is possible to do that. We have done it before. We could do it again."
And as Snowden mentions, the oath the President makes is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_of_office_of_the_President...
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
The Constitution.
It's the end of 2013.
(at that time published on whitehouse.gov)
http://web.archive.org/web/20011116191708/http://www.whiteho...
"We also have to work, though, sort of the dark side, if you will. We've got to spend time in the shadows in the intelligence world. A lot of what needs to be done here will have to be done quietly, without any discussion, using sources and methods that are available to our intelligence agencies, if we're going to be successful."
And, for the opposing view, also to think about the 2006 speech of then senator Obama:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfX7RI7DGI8
"No President is above the law. I am voting against Mr. Hayden in the hope that he will be more humble before the great weight of responsibility that he has not only to protect our lives but to protect our democracy.
Americans fought a Revolution in part over the right to be free from unreasonable searches -- to ensure that our Government could not come knocking in the middle of the night for no reason. We need to find a way forward to make sure we can stop terrorists while protecting the privacy and liberty of innocent Americans. We have to find a way to give the President the power he needs to protect us, while making sure he does not abuse that power. It is possible to do that. We have done it before. We could do it again."
And as Snowden mentions, the oath the President makes is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_of_office_of_the_President...
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
The Constitution.
It's the end of 2013.