Check out Crypto by Steven Levy for an example of large gov agencies like the FBI/NSA influencing the government. In the 90s there was a big push for crypto and

Check out Crypto by Steven Levy for an example of large gov agencies like the FBI/NSA influencing the government. In the 90s there was a big push for crypto and the government was afraid that it would loose all ability to obtain unencrypted communications so they created the clipper chip(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipper_chip http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipper_chip). Basically a secure encryption device with a backdoor held by some government agency requiring a warrant to obtain. While this scheme was being hatched, an election happened and Clinton was elected. The FBI and NSA went on all out propaganda mode with the new elected officials to convince them that the end of the US was near if this wasn't forced on the people. While Clinton and his entourage were against this stuff during the campaign and seemed pro tech industry they quickly switched stance in favor of the new plan. The public outcry at the time prevented the clipper chip from ever getting accepted but it took a lot of bad press about it, something we don't see today with the new crappy laws. So frankly I can see how this could happen to Obama and his administration. The FBI was one of the worse groups in this story, they wanted even more than just keys obtainable by warrant they wanted a phone away ability to get the decryption keys. I don't think they are any less power hungry today. And with a monster the size of the DHS the misinformation/influence must be even greater.