Here is your Morning Brief for May 21, 2015.

Rick Perry
Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images
loading...

Rick Perry Talks Government Surveillance

Former Texas Governor Rick Perry was in Iowa on Thursday talking to voters about a wide range of topics. As Senator Rand Paul was starting his filibuster over the NSA surveillance program, Perry attempted to find a balance between privacy and surveillance. According to the Texas Tribune, Perry used Garland as an example.

"We knew who these people were," Perry said of the two gunmen who opened fire earlier this month outside a drawing contest featuring cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. "This wasn't a secret, and to be able to listen in to those individuals' conversations, to track what those individuals are doing, I think most Americans would agree that's where we need to be using our technology, our listening in, our ability to track what these individuals are doing on the Internet."

Appearing at a national security forum at the close of a swing through Iowa, Perry suggested the shooting — which ended in a police officer taking down the two attackers — was not a perfect example of law enforcement reacting to intelligence. In the aftermath of the attack, the FBI said it had looked into one of the gunmen and tipped off Garland police, who disputed they had received any heads-up.

Asked whether mistakes were made in the lead-up to the shooting, Perry did not directly respond, but questioned whether the gunmen were being monitored the day of the attack.

"Well, obviously if we knew who these people were, and we knew that they were in fact, either were or were being radicalized, and we knew that they were already on the watch list, who was supposed to be watching them that day?" Perry asked.

The forum got heated according to the Tribune when the moderator pressed Perry of the gathering of private information and interrogation techniques.

"Finding the right balance, I would tend to agree more with the Senate approach than with the House approach from the standpoint of we must protect this country and protect its citizens, " Perry told the forum moderator, Associated Press reporter Ken Dilanian.

"So that means you're OK with the NSA taking everybody's phone calls, your psychiatrists, your ministers and that?" Dilanian responded.

"You just put a whole bunch of words in my mouth that I didn't say," Perry shot back, drawing loud applause. "What I said was we need to find a balance."

In another somewhat tense exchange with Dilanian, Perry defended the CIA's so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques," personalizing the debate for the moderator.

"If we need to use enhanced interrogation techniques to save your family, would you use them?" Perry asked Dilanian.

The former governor later suggested it would be "inhumane" not to use the methods if it was known American lives were at risk. Dilanian subsequently asked Perry where he would then draw the line on torture.

"Oh, I don't know maybe the rectal feeding might be the line," Perry jokingly replied, bringing up one of the methods Dilanian mentioned earlier in the interview.

To an extent, I agree with Perry that there should be a balance. Should the NSA collect data on everyone? No. However, if you are making calls to certain parts of the Middle East, googling how to blow something up, or attempting to join ISIS, maybe the NSA should look into your life a little more.

I can see where both Rand Paul and Rick Perry come from and I too am worried about the slippery slope that comes along with surveillance.

FOX to Limit First Republican Debate

The first Republican Presidential Debate will be in August and FOX has decided on just how many will be allowed to take the stage. According to the Washington Post, the top ten declared candidates for the Republicans will be allowed on stage.

The criteria set by Fox News is similar to the standards it has set for past debates. To qualify for the event, candidates must place in the top 10 of an average of the five most recent national polls by August 4th at 5 p.m. ET. Such polling must be conducted by major, nationally recognized organizations that use standard methodological techniques and recognized by Fox News.

Debate participants must also meet all U.S. constitutional requirements to run for president, must have announced their campaign and filed the necessary paperwork with the Federal Election Commission and must have paid all required federal and state filing fees.

The debate, which Fox News is presenting with Facebook, will be moderated by Bret Baier, Megyn Kelly and Chris Wallace.

FOX News will give air-time to the other candidates that are left out, but they won't be allowed to debate. With a candidate field that could swell to somewhere between 16 and 19, limiting the debate to the top ten is fair.There will be plenty of time and debates for the candidates who get left out.

Depending on which polls FOX uses, the candidates that could appear on stage would include: Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Rick Perry, and either Rick Santorum or Carly Fiorina.

That isn't a bad mix of candidates.

Other Must Read Links:

These and many more topics coming up on today’s edition of The Chad Hasty Show. Tune in mornings 8:30-11am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App. All guest interviews can be heard on our KFYO YouTube page after the show and online at kfyo.com.

More From News/Talk 95.1 & 790 KFYO