Rand Paul Accuses Obama of 'Utter, Frank Hypocrisy' over NSA Scandal

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) called President Barack Obama a hypocrite for expanding the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs that Obama had previously railed against. 

In an appearance on Fox News’s “Hannity” on Monday, Paul said the NSA’s spying was an “utter, frank hypocrisy” and emphasized that “this is why the Americn public have a low regard for politicians.” 

He claimed the data surveillance programs may not be as effective as the government has claimed, citing the underwear bomber and the Boston Marathon bombers as security failures. 

Paul said Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, the underwear bomber, was actually turned in by his father before the attack but was still allowed on a plane. He also said the government also lost track of the Boston marathon bombers despite early warning from Russian security services.

“We have to step back… isn’t our right to privacy more important than this?” Paul said. 

Paul said the the founding fathers fought the revolution over things like general warrants that allowed British soldiers to go from house to house without cause. He said the modern day equivalent to such abuse was the government’s ability to go from “computer to computer” without cause. 

Paul said Obama “doesn’t mean anything he says” and “that hypocrisy is why Americans are so fed up with Washington.

He echoed themes from his Wall Street Journal op-ed on Monday, which was titled, “Big Brother Really Is Watching Us.”