ONTD Political

Patriot Act up for extension tomorrow

1:37 pm - 02/07/2011
Tomorrow, Congress will vote on a bill renewing USA-PATRIOT. The bill has no reforms, and the vote will be taken with no open debate.

Source one. Source two.

Don't want it passed? Inform your employees.

Oh, and if that's not scary enough, three leading Republicans want to make portions of the Patriot Act permanent.
Three Republican Senate leaders introduced a measure late Thursday that would permanently extend three key provisions of the Patriot Act, rather than let them expire not quite three years from now, as an alternative Democratic proposal would do.

The Republicans — Sens. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader; Charles Grassley of Iowa, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, and Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, the top GOP member on the Intelligence Committee — described the changes as vital to national security.

“These three provisions are essential tools for our counterterrorism agents in the field. The threat of terrorism isn’t going away so we must provide our agents with the tools they need to get the job done,” Grassley said in a prepared statement. “Given that terrorist threats, including those from self-radicalized individuals, continue to evolve, we must ensure that our law enforcement agents are not burdened with new restrictions on existing authorities. We can’t afford to go back to a pre-9/11 mindset and tie the hands of our agents in the field.”
rauduskoivu 7th-Feb-2011 11:59 pm (UTC)
ngl, I'm 100% prepared for the possibility that Obama and the Dems fold as usual, and we get stuck with this shit again/forever. I look forward to getting drunk tomorrow night.
whatisurdamage 8th-Feb-2011 12:04 am (UTC)
yep. sad that this is expected.
bludstone 8th-Feb-2011 12:22 am (UTC)
Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich will vote no, everyone else will vote yes.
rauduskoivu 8th-Feb-2011 12:22 am (UTC)
iawtc
haruhiko 8th-Feb-2011 02:28 am (UTC)
Actually, with the Blue Dog Caucus having been decimated by the last lolection and with the Dems now in opposition I have a feeling we'll get a few extra votes, probably from Lynn Woolsey or Barbara Lee, maybe even Jackie Speier. Not that it will matter anyway because even with a united House Dem Caucus they still can't muster a majority vote.
mindrtist 8th-Feb-2011 06:39 am (UTC)
Well, this will be a good opportunity to take more Vicodin than is directed after my dental work tomorrow then.
layweed 8th-Feb-2011 12:02 am (UTC)
Of course they're just going to vote yes. Voting no is being unpatriotic, as is not wearing a US flag lapel pin.
mindrtist 8th-Feb-2011 06:40 am (UTC)
a flag pin made in China.
arisma 8th-Feb-2011 12:03 am (UTC)
Just wrote my rep... not that I'm expecting much. :\
escherichiacola 8th-Feb-2011 12:28 am (UTC)
Of course they'll vote against it. We elected them to halt the runaway government that's destroying this country.
hauntermooneyes 8th-Feb-2011 01:05 am (UTC)
Sarcasm?
escherichiacola 8th-Feb-2011 01:19 am (UTC)
What is there to be sarcastic about? I hold the tea party on their word to lower government in people's lives whether from surveillance or intrusion into reproductive health.
hauntermooneyes 8th-Feb-2011 01:48 am (UTC)
Sarcasm. Gotcha. ;)
mindrtist 8th-Feb-2011 06:41 am (UTC)
this made me laugh, thanks :D
doverz 8th-Feb-2011 01:42 am (UTC)
I miss Russ Feingold. Only US Senator to vote against it. I'm sure that Ron Johnson will vote for it.
escherichiacola 8th-Feb-2011 01:54 am (UTC)
Johnson. Goddamn hack.
browneyedguuurl 8th-Feb-2011 03:10 am (UTC)
I am so sad my Steelers lost yesterday, but congrats bb.
doverz 8th-Feb-2011 03:24 am (UTC)
Thanks!!! It was awesome watching them win. And I'm really glad that people can stop ragging on Aaron Rodgers, saying he's not an elite QB until he wins a Super Bowl.
browneyedguuurl 8th-Feb-2011 03:27 am (UTC)
For me it wasn't great, but yeah, I'm happy for Aaron. What Favre did to the team and the whole city was such a douche move. I am glad they have a team that can win them the big one.
doverz 8th-Feb-2011 03:49 am (UTC)
Don't worry, I'm sure the Steelers will be back to the Super Bowl fairly quickly.
hallwayjulie 8th-Feb-2011 03:16 am (UTC)
YAAAY Republican small government!
mindrtist 8th-Feb-2011 06:42 am (UTC)
Permanent???? Yeah, no.
jadehunter 8th-Feb-2011 07:03 am (UTC)
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin

The shoe. It fits.
windy_lea 8th-Feb-2011 02:28 pm (UTC)
I wrote my district's rep, but he's a Republican in a solidly red-state, so... yeah. Just being reminded of his stances--which I already largely knew because he's been representing my area at LEAST since high-school, possibly middle-school--put me in a pissy mood.
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