[skip2myloo]

Most of Patriot I, in fact DOES NOT sunset, only limited portions of it.

What is the source of your optimism ?? Hope ??

As we all know -- hope is not a method.

[George W. Bush]

As we all know -- hope is not a method.

Hope is the sina qua non of reform and progress. It's indisputable.

Let's not jump into doom-and-gloom mode. Sneak-and-peek was knocked out by Congress last year despite severe objections from Bush and Ashcroft. Ashcroft's triumphal tour of, what, 26 cities to promote Patriot II actually aroused even more opposition to it. He rushed back to Washington just to try to get renewal of existing Patriot I provisions. And Congress isn't buying into it. They just don't like it and never really did.

I certainly don't take the threat to our liberties casually. But Patriot was always viewed with suspicion by the saner elements in both parties. They've already hacked at it once. And many of the more onerous provisions will sunset.

Let's not pretend that we've made no progress against it. Or that some of its provisions were not necessary to deal with the Islamist fifth column in the States. I see Patriot as a for-the-duration measure, something that citizens should work to reduce as the threat is dealt with. And I think there is considerable consensus in Congress on that point.

Stay active. Keep the pressure on. We'll chop this thing down to size.