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Top lawmakers in the House and Senate reached a deal to extend the Patriot Act for four years, a week before key provisions were set to expire.
The pieces of the law that allow the federal government to compel businesses to release records, issue roving wiretaps, and monitor so-called “lone wolf” terror suspects were set to run out on May 27. The outline of the deal between Speaker John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell still needs to pass both chambers in the next seven days to avoid a lapse in the law…
Extending the Bush-era surveillance law has not been a slam dunk for House GOP leaders this year. In fact, Republicans were unable to muster enough votes to fast-track the bill through the House earlier this year because of objections from lawmakers ranging from libertarian-minded conservatives to liberal Democrats. When a 90-day extension passed earlier this year, Republicans needed Democrats to carry it across the finish line…
Another plus for both parties: the four-year compromise places the vote in 2015 — which is not an election year.
Civil liberties groups reacted with anger to the news of a four-year extension for the controversial law without committee review.
“That is how the Patriot Act first came into being 10 years ago—without meaningful debate,” said the Bill of Rights Defense Committee in a statement issued on Thursday night.
“Today, despite the prior approval of the Senate Judiciary Committee of a bill introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy to impose some (albeit inadequate) reforms, the congressional leadership is dictating the result of a long overdue policy debate that has never happened.”
I would expect nothing less. Congress hasn’t been so thoroughly-defined by cowardice since the witch-hunt days of Joe McCarthy.
Dear bobbo–my, such vitriol for something that should be obvious to all: the path we are on leads to the very destruction of America that you decry. Very hard difficult changes must be made to avoid this cataclysim. Are the Republicans so wrong to take ANY course at all rather than maintain the status quo?
THAT is something thinking men can think about and debate. The Parties are equal in that respect==both advocates for destruction. Only the TeaParty suggests an alternative, and alternative that as you dourly note is on part with Democratic/Liberal leaning electorates: 40 to 40 you accept as near the truth. The Wisdom of Crowds, not self appointed bell ringers such as yourself.
I agree the Ryan Budget is a disaster====BUT it will provoke change, change that is needed, change that is not coming from the established/ensconced/inbreed/stayed to long current crop of power brokers.
What is it about reality that YOU can’t handle bobbo? What is that Reality???
Silly Hooman. All is hubris.
Think, just think. You should realize the Ryan Horribles while very, very, bad still won’t be as the horribles 5-10 years later if we stay on our path. As you like to say: not good vs evil but a choice between evils.
Pull that lollipop out of your mouth and deal with the reality you say we are all missing. It won’t hurt, that much.
///////////////// Easy Peasy.
Get a room.
#75
Preferably one lined with rubber.
#75 & 76 & Puke Voters of any other stripe: my my. I would think ANY regular reader of this blog would encourage any interaction with Alfie that brought out the only sane response I have witnessed him make. True, it crumbled and reverted to his well worn irrelevancy on first opportunity–but it was a ray of light. What do you guys have against hope? Against helping those who so obviously need it?
But beyond Alfie, why don’t either one of you man up and answer the question?
Come on PUKES===answer the question. And for those of you who would NOT vote the Ryan Budget Plan how can you still consider voting for the PUKE party 18 months from now for whatever candidate supports the Ryan Budget now and then scurries for the center for the general election? How can you support such perfidy?
And for those of you who would vote to support the Ryan Budget==do you do so in full recognition that the PUKES are about KILLING America in favor of a few rich corporate international types or do you think it is somehow saving………what……WHAT do you think such a vote is saving???
And for all of you ((Animby!) how can you help the Ryan Budget along by mouthing that the two parties “are the same?”
How about a little response on the subject? A little, just a little, serious thinking on the subject. Shouldn’t be that hard.
Go!!!!!!!!
I can remember when there was some semi-serious talk about eliminating the CIA. And then 9-11 happened (or was allowed to happen), which turned that truck around pretty fast. And instead the US added another layer of bureaucracy on top of the existing layer cake of anti-personal-rights-and-freedoms. Not to mention increasing the federal budget to fund it all.
Ya know, in most cases. when businesses merge, they do so to eliminate redundant jobs and cut their labor and other resource expenses. Only the government figures out that increasing inter-agency information and resource sharing, requires an increase of personnel and funding. IOWs, increased redundancy. And increased waste.
What this “Congressional” decisions boils down to is this. They recognize that the Pentagon is really in charge of things. And it doesn’t trust the US citizens in general, not to oppose its rule in some way. So why not use every little excuse, to increase its ability to spy on its own citizens? And they seemed to be more concerned about “anti-war” advocates and peace demonstrators, than actual real terrorists. As if protesting wars, is a gateway “drug” to domestic terrorism. How convenient an interpretation is that?
So one has to think they’re getting ready for when more US citizens being to object to the 100s of billions spent yearly on the military expense, to save the whole damn world from some “evil”. While hardly anyone else has a decent “normal” job, to earn enough to pay the burden of these high taxes. Or the borrowed funds, which taxes what’s left of the US shrinking GDP, thru inflation.
Alfie–no problem, I stopped reading your posts when you refused to answer the question. And in general, I don’t mind name calling at all but in response I will say fracking turd is not clever or humorous. Is it a Sdi Fi BG reference or an in the news water pollution mining reference? I recommend that one or more adjectives tie back into the posters name or the subject of the thread? Lets, see now, doubtful you know what the subject of the thread is, so I’ll go with the name.
Yes, I’d have used “bobbing turd.” Maybe “bobbing unthinking turd” just to put some salt in the wound. Depends on my mood.
answer the question.
Is it really that much of a surprise that the US Congress would agree to extend the powers of a form of “Big Brother” ism? Ever since it became far more possible to do all this domestic spying. They’ve passed every measure to carry it out, just for the h*ll of it. Terrorism or not. The US government was illegally wire-tapping back before the Pearl Harbor attack (1941). To spy on whatever Asian-American citizens might be talking about, concerning a Japanese raid. Not that they did anything with the knowledge they gathered. Because FDR actually WANTED the US into the war. So they kept the California and Hawaii field offices activities a secret. But today it’s generally acknowledged (though not popularly so) that FDR knew something was up. Or else why were they wire-tapping the CA and HA, phone lines?
So they’ve been tapping in, whether its legal or not to do so, for decades. Using whatever technology they’ve got. Echelon, AT&T, the Internet. Only recently has the US Congress made it all nice and legal. The government wants to know, well in advance of you being pissed off at it, what you might plan to do. So I’d advice never to trust communicating anything electronically, you don’t want looked over by those you have a gripe against. Because the government will inform the military and big industries, what you’re up to.
Thomas, the president can do that with or without the MCA. IT is only a matter of what is legal. Let’s suppose you repeal the MCA. The president can still have government agents disappear people at will. What stops that?
Rather than “testing” voter as the Repukes are advocating, we should TEST THE CANDIDATES ON THE CONSTITUTION AND THE BILL OF RIGHTS – TO SEE IF ***ANY** OF THEM UNDERSTAND !!! That “not a witch” running for the Delaware Senate seat had no idea of the “Separation of Church and State” in the First Amendment !!! See what I mean ?
Jim D–yeap==just as Trump has no idea where the privacy right regarding personal autonomy comes from, just as Palin has no idea what a magazine is, just as Ryan has no idea what a balanced budget is made up from….yada yada and they are all pukes.
I think “the test” is fairly thought of as the lame stream media when they do their job. The certainty of the lame stream media doing their job by accident is high enough that the inside prediction this go through is that the Pukes will appear on Faux News only==no questions from the public necessary or appropriate.
This is how corruption spirals down. Truly something amazing to witness in our own time. Just look!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hello!!!
This was a really great post. I will keep visiting here.
Thanks for such a nice post.
Meg Ryan
P.S. I think McConnell will be able to pass both chambers.
You Obama contributors asking for a refund yet?
*87–Screedy==Nope. Just waiting for 2016 so a real progressive brings the change we all need.
This is good news. The law gave a much needed additional fang on fight against terror. But I believe this is not still enough.