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Senate Proposes Patriot Act Extension
geekylinuxkid writes "Senate leaders reached a bipartisan agreement Wednesday night to extend expiring and controversial provisions of the Patriot Act for six months. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Republican from Tennessee, announced the agreement from the Senate floor, ending an impasse over the measure." From the article: "Last week, the House voted 251-174 to renew the 16 provisions after striking a compromise that altered some of them. The provisions were set to expire at year's end if not renewed. Controversial measures include those allowing the FBI -- with a court order -- to obtain secret warrants for business, library, medical and other records, and to get a wiretap on every phone a suspect uses." More commentary on the BBC. We reported on last week's failure of the original renewal.
More to the point, Clinton actually went much much further then this currently goes. He used it in purely domestic areas . Not that I expect this to actually change anyone's mind. What is being brandied about has very little to do with thought and everything to do with emotion (typically hate and fear -- on both sides).
BTW, critics of this. How do you explain that the one program that actually might have been able to stop 9/11 (Able Danger) would be illegal under your incomplete reading of the law? The FISA court itself ruled that Bush's constitutional duties and rights trumped FISA when it came to intellegence gathering?
Please try and keep up:
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Take a look at this: http://www.washtimes.com/national/20051222-122610
This is not what I hoped for, but 6 months is probably the best the republicans can get for now. After all, 2006 is election year and everyone is switching into CYA mode. This will only hit the garbage can AFTER we elect a democratically controlled senate/house.
Your hopes are pinned on the likes of Howard 'White Flag' Dean being able to garner the swing vote. Hmm, swing vote and Howard Dean, not two words you often find used together. I am hopeful Dean and his ilk will alienate the electorate again and that America will grow redder. A filibuster proof Senate majority would be nice. Then we can and we can really get something done. What I find really inexplicable about the agreement is that the ANWR was dropped. Hopefully Senator Frist will reattach it to some Democrat sacred cow legislation so we can actually do something to increase our domestic oil supplies.
an ill wind that blows no good
He has the authority to do it:1 2210142dec21,0,3553632.story?coll=chi-newsopinionc ommentary-hed
0 05-12-21-bush-spying-edit-yes_x.htm
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_ 05_MM.html
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-05
It's the necessary thing to do:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2
It's been done before by your pals Clinton and Carter
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20051222-122610
You are all for it when it serves your politics :
http://realclearpolitics.com/Commentary/com-12_21
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A Troll post for a Troll post.
When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
Please read this paragraph carefully, as I think it speaks volumes.
xkcd.com - a webcomic of mathematics, love, and language.
I don't agree with this law, but it would be nice to see it applied to the congress and president's office. The whole country could then find out what really happened in Sept 11, the war on Iraq, and not to mentioned Bush's first "Selection" to the oval office.
Happy holidays!!!!
As Jimmy Carter pointed out on The Daily Show last night: "There's 9-10% of the population that, regardless of political affiliation, will always vote to support the current commander in chief whenever there's a war on and America's young men and women are fighting."
Jimmy Carter has always been a bit soft in the head, and it hasn't gotten better with age. There will not be 9-10% of the population who will vote for Bush in 2008, and yet it will likely be another Republican sweep.
You and Carter might wish that Bush was re-elected because there is a war going on, but the fact of the matter is that the Doomocrats just aren't appealing to most Americans. It might make you and Howard Dean feel better to believe that's because 53% of Americans are stupid, but that doesn't make either of you politically savy or electable, it just makes you an elitist ass.
Si vis pacem, para bellum
The only thing more annoying than a Libertarian is an (un|mis)informed Libertarian
This act has already infringed on many peoples freedom,... Has it overall had a positive or negative effect?
Uhhh. Speaking as a freedom-lover, I think you just answered that question right there.
WTF is wrong with you people?
I yearn for you tragically. A. T. Tappman, Chaplain, U.S. Army.