Patriot Act: We are so F****D

As we all know, the French are such wimps that even their government will surrender abjectly at the first hint of a citizen protesting the extension of its emergency powers.

Besides, bottom line, let the French take care of France. My concern is with what the US government is up to. Fine, so they have a dictatorship in Paraguay. So there is a horrible civil war in Sri Lanka, as well as Rwanda, so the French government takes on extremes of power in what they percieve to be an emergency. Does that mean its OK for the US to indulge in such behaviors?

Since when did this country start to aspire to the status of the lowest common denominator?

[Undertoad]

The Patriot Act reauthorization bill has failed.

but i'm sure you all can find other things to waste your time being paranoid about

[Griff]

hmmm.. like Arab extremists. Paranoia comes in many flavors.

I'm gonna regret saying this but hooray for Russ Feingold.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

but i'm sure you all can find other things to waste your time being paranoid about

a) Frist voted against cloture so he would have the option of reopening the vote later.
b) It can probably be snuck into another bill later, as keeps happening with the ANWR stuff.
c) Regardless, I'm proud of 'em.

[richlevy]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

a) Frist voted against cloture so he would have the option of reopening the vote later.
b) It can probably be snuck into another bill later, as keeps happening with the ANWR stuff.
c) Regardless, I'm proud of 'em.

Let's be clear here, it only failed because of a filibuster, a 'privilege' that the majority party has threatened to take away.

Still, it's nice to see some senators have the guts to object. Of course, in the movies this usually results in the Death Star coming along and blowing up your planet.

[Happy Monkey]

They have only threatened to take it away in the case of judicial nominations. Of course, their rationalization for why judicial nominations are different from other laws is pretty flimsy. So if they do remove the filibuster in one instance, there's nothing stopping them from removing it in other instances.

[Badgerino]

Originally Posted by Griff

hmmm.. like Arab extremists. Paranoia comes in many flavors.

I'm gonna regret saying this but hooray for Russ Feingold.

He was the only senator to vote against the Patriot Act in 2002, knowing he would have to stand for reelection in Wisconsin in 2004. How easy it would have been to go along with the herd and vote "yes" with all the rest of them.
Like him or not, Russ Feingold has the courage of his convictions and is one of the few senators who has the sand to stand up to Bushco and the neocons.

[warch]

From thehill.com:

Civil liberties don’t matter much ‘after you’re dead,’ Cornyn says on spy case
By Jonathan Allen

“None of your civil liberties matter much after you’re dead,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a former judge and close ally of the president who sits on the Judiciary Committee.

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), who has led a bipartisan filibuster against a reauthorization of the Patriot Act, quoted Patrick Henry, an icon of the American Revolution, in response: “Give me liberty or give me death.”

He called Cornyn’s comments “a retreat from who we are and who we should be.”

From an AP story:

The ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee says it makes a mockery of the system of checks and balances inherent in the U-S Constitution. Senator Carl Levin of Michigan says court oversight of such wiretaps is critical. He says there's a system in place right now that permits government officials to tap first and get court approval later, but the administration has chosen not to do that.
Senator Russell Feingold objected more strongly. The Wisconsin Democrat says of Bush, "He's a president, not a king." Feingold also said, "We could all go home now because apparently we don't have a role if the president can just make up these laws."
Feingold says the Senate must fast-track hearings on the matter.

[xoxoxoBruce]

“None of your civil liberties matter much after you’re dead,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas),

I wonder if he used to say "Better red than dead"?

[warch]

Bush is pissed because he got caught. This leak he doesnt like! Gonzales is making up the law.

I still think a lot of people don't understand how this power move is not about the President's need for the nimblest tools, (of course we want nimble tools!) its about the President's accountability for the use of his already existing way nimble tools. He legally has the power to tap any phone, gather any email, but the law says he has to eventually 'splain why- he can do that after the fact, no need to fuss during the chase, no time wasted with technicalities during terrorist tracking. Nimble.

But Bush has chosen to skirt this legal approach, this after-the-fact check, claiming executive power and privilege. Why? Why the fear of accountability? Unchecked power and privilege is not what the founding fathers had in mind. They didnt want a king or dictator. It is dangerous, as terrorism is dangerous. Good thing is the outrage is coming from both parties, with the exception of the good ol cronies that always hang with Bush.