# Clapper in Wonderland (claims he answered Congress question in "least untruthful" manner) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 12, 2013, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clapper-in-wonderland-claims-he-answered-congress-question-in-least-untruthful-manner/660818 "2013-06-12T15:42:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clapper-in-wonderland-claims-he-answered-congress-question-in-least-untruthful-manner/660818/1 "2013-06-12T15:42:44Z")
> **[Intelligence chief Clapper: I gave ‘least untruthful’ answer on U.S. spying](https://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/intel-chief-clapper-gave-least-untruthful-answer-u-164742798.html)** > > Director of National Intelligence James Clapper is really struggling to explain why he told Congress in March (see video above) that the National Security Agency does not intentionally collect any kind of data on millions of Americans. His latest... Remember, here was the question Wyden: "And this is for you, Director Clapper, again on the surveillance front. And I hope we can do this in just a yes or no answer, because I know Sen. Feinstein wants to move on. "Last summer the NSA director was at a conference and he was asked a question about the NSA surveillance of Americans. He replied, and I quote here, ‘… the story that we have millions or hundreds of millions of dossiers on people is completely false.’ “The reason I’m asking the question is, having served on the committee now for a dozen years, I don’t really know what a dossier is in this context. So what I wanted to see is if you could give me a yes or no answer to the question: **Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans**?” Clapper: “ **No, sir.** ” Only in Wonderland would this answer be “truthful”. Probably not even there. No, Mr. Clapper. The “least untruthful” answer would have been “Yes, sir.” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2013, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clapper-in-wonderland-claims-he-answered-congress-question-in-least-untruthful-manner/660818/2 "2013-06-12T20:10:29Z")
“Millions of dossiers on people? That’s completely false. Nowadays we store all our information on computers.” ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2013, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clapper-in-wonderland-claims-he-answered-congress-question-in-least-untruthful-manner/660818/3 "2013-06-13T00:12:51Z")
The lie was even more blatant than that. The question was: “Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans?” “any type of data at all”. In light of the facts that have been revealed since, Clapper blatantly lied under oath. And spineless Congress will let him get away with it. ---
**Author:** ![JoseB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joseb/32/1530_2.png) [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2013, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clapper-in-wonderland-claims-he-answered-congress-question-in-least-untruthful-manner/660818/4 "2013-06-13T11:24:43Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > The lie was even more blatant than that. The question was: > > “Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans?” > > “any type of data at all”. In light of the facts that have been revealed since, Clapper blatantly lied under oath. And spineless Congress will let him get away with it. Of course they will let him get away with it. Congress may make shocked noises, but this kind of widespread data gathering is, generally speaking, A-OK in their book. It is not that Congress is spineless – it’s just that Congress knows very well what it likes. And this kind of pervasive data-gathering? They _ **like** _ it very much! (Feel free to substitute for “Congress” any governing body of your choice). ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2013, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clapper-in-wonderland-claims-he-answered-congress-question-in-least-untruthful-manner/660818/5 "2013-06-13T13:41:00Z")
Maybe he meant “no, it’s not ‘millions or hundreds of millions’, it’s ‘millions AND hundreds of millions’”.