Gore sees high crimes
in Obama's NSA policy

Former Vice President Al Gore condemned President Obama's surveillance programs as "outrageous" and charged that the Obama administration appears to be guilty of "crimes against the Constitution," according to a published report.

Gore said that though governments understandably conduct surveillance to safeguard the public, the Obama administration had gone to "absurd" lengths, the Canadian Press reported. Gore said surveillance is necessary, but that the activities disclosed by Edward Snowden were "outrageous" and "completely unacceptable," the press agency added.

Gore pointed out that he had sat on the National Security Council and received daily intelligence briefings during his eight years with the Clinton administration.

The former vice president charged in the agency report that Snowden "has revealed evidence of what appears to be crimes against the Constitution of the United States."

Gore said he thought it likely the surveillance programs would be reined in, the press agency said.

Gore also told an audience Tuesday at Montreal's McGill University that he was concerned about attitudes toward privacy from cyber business, saying America has a "stalker economy," the agency said.

Gore is one of numerous Democrats who have taken a stand against the surveillance policies of the leader of the Democratic Party, Obama.

In July, former President Jimmy Carter denounced the surveillance operations. "America does not have a functioning democracy at this point in time," he is reported to have said.

Carter said Snowden's leaks had been "beneficial."