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Patriot Act Spy Powers To Expire As Rand Paul Blocks USA Freedom Act Vote
Saturday, we mentioned that three major spying powers that the U.S. government has exercised under the Patriot Act might be nixed, as the sections of the Act granting authority to use them expires. The Daily Dot reports that Senator (and presidential contender) Rand Paul today used Senate rules to block a bill which would have extended those powers, which means that as of midnight Sunday on the U.S. east coast, sections 206, 207 and 215 of the Patriot Act will have expired. Says the Daily Dot's article, linked by reader blottsie:
The reform bill, which the House passed before leaving town for a week-long recess, would end the government's bulk collection of Americans' phone records under the Patriot Act's controversial Section 215 but leaves the other two provisions intact. ... Sunday's procedural meltdown was the second narrow defeat for the USA Freedom Act. In a late-night session on Friday, May 22, the bill fell three votes short of an initial procedural step after [Senate Majority Leader] McConnell lobbied hard against it. The Senate's failure to meet its deadline was a blow to President Obama, who on Friday had warned lawmakers that the country would be vulnerable if the USA Freedom Act did not pass.
. . . under the dictatorship of Obama - and we will make sure that all the supporters of dictator Obama will get booted from the Capitol Hill
Wait, is this sarcasm? You're gunning for the funny mod, right?
Because, A., the PATRIOT Act (writing the word "patriot" in reference to these orwellian measures makes my stomach turn, but that's not what I'm talking about here) was promulgated by Cheney Rumsfeld Bush and Co., and passed under their stern, wagging fingers, and, B., Obama operates from the White House, whereas it is the Congress whose building is Capitol Hill.
I'm confused because Paragraph 2 is an accurate representation of the current state of affairs. I mean, Obama is a far sight short of his promises, much like most Democrats these days, and totally wrong on this issue, but he is way less of a totalitarian/authoritarian than CRB executive was. And, at least one or two of his policies are meant for the benefit of the Plebs.
Actually, it's Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R, WI-5), the same guy who sponsored the Patriot Act.
I'm not a fan of political parties as a concept but just saying...
You think we have a "representative democracy" here in the US?
Representative of whom? Do you believe this government represents you? Do you think it represents the will of the people?
https://www.opensecrets.org/pa...
https://www.opensecrets.org/ov...
You are welcome on my lawn.
Joe Biden was the original author:
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2011/12/joe-biden-drafted-the-core-of-the-patriot-act-in-1995-before-the-oklahoma-city-bombing.html
I really can't wait until we get a new president. Then it will everyone bitching about the next one will get told to blame Obama, and then people will counter that blaming Obama is old and tired but the new president is somehow worse for not being radically different.
You know what I really honestly and non-sarcastically can't wait for? The day when you idiots stop voting these people into power. As long as the race for presidency--as long as most every political race at every level in this country-- is between a Democrat or a Republican, that will never happen.
You were critically hit for no damage. The bruise will look nice, and maybe the scars will make good party talk.
What kind of a dictator "asks" Congress for anything? A proper dictator would, you know, dictate his commands
A clever dictator asks Congress for things he does not want, so that he can deflect the blame to Congress when they fail to pass it. You don't see presidents asking for permission about, say, drone bombings in various countries.