WITH A WHISPER, NOT A BANG (Patriot Act II signed by President on December 13, 2003)

San Antonio Current ^ | 12/24/03 | David Martin

[HiTech RedNeck]

What, you've encountered a set of jackboots you don't want to lick???

[oceanview]

yeah, lets get Dean in there and another set of judicial tyrants with lifetime appointments. they will surely protect the constitution.

[KantianBurke]

Even if this article is hyperbole, the timing of Bush's signings are akin to what Clintigula used to do. While I could accept the aggrendisment of the FBI's powers, the "thief in the night" style is too much.

[HiTech RedNeck]

GOP can filibuster too.

[secretagent]

bttt

[Pikamax]

The only place I am seeing this "news" is a couple of sites linking to the SA current.

[Lower55]

Where did it say they would probe your financial records. Please read it again. And, yes it is out of context.

I know you think you know what it says, it just doesn't say what you think.

[Marianne]

LINK
I heard that this bill, now Public Law 108-177, was signed into law by the President on December 13, 2003 while listening to a Canadian radio staton last night.(MOJO radio, Toronto, Canada)
As far as I know, with the exception of the San Antonio newspaper, this information has not been reported by our media.

[MissAmericanPie]

Certainly not, you merely stare vacantly in front of you chanting. My reading comprehension skills earned me a nice gpa in college btw.=o)

[HiTech RedNeck]

How did Congress ever agree to being even its own SELF kept in the dark about the aggregate statistics of what the FBI is doing with these spying letters? I thought this is what a China would do, not a United States of America.

If Patriot II can be pieced out like this, why can't amendments to it, rolling back the most ridiculous segments like this, be pieced out as well?

[Lower55]

the timing of Bush's signings

He's probably not aware that signing times were your call. What signing time would meet your approval?

[woofie]

I did a cursory look at Google ..nothing comes up .Which leads me to suspect it is a bogus story(coming from a San Antonio paper)

[FreeReign]

LOL, you guys always say something like that when you can't face the truth about some other outrage Bush has committed. Let me give you a little helpful hint. Google is your friend, read them all and weep.

It's all over google?

Do you have a link to this Patriot Act II? All I've seen are supposed, leaked classified drafts from last January, if they are to be believed.

[flashbunny]

Yeah, it's called investigative journalism, not many places are keen on that any more. Most just repeat what other places are reporting on.

However, even the average citizen can do some digging. And I came up with this, signed on December 13th.:

H.R.2417
Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (Enrolled as Agreed to or Passed by Both House and Senate)


SEC. 374. MODIFICATION TO DEFINITION OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTION IN RIGHT TO FINANCIAL PRIVACY ACT.

(a) MODIFICATION OF DEFINITION- Section 1114 of the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 (12 U.S.C. 3414) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(d) For purposes of this section, and sections 1115 and 1117 insofar as they relate to the operation of this section, the term `financial institution' has the same meaning as in subsections (a)(2) and (c)(1) of section 5312 of title 31, United States Code, except that, for purposes of this section, such term shall include only such a financial institution any part of which is located inside any State or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the United States Virgin Islands.'.

(b) CROSS REFERENCE MODIFICATION- Section 1101(1) of such Act (12 U.S.C. 3401(1)) is amended by inserting `, except as provided in section 1114,' before `means any office'.

You can see title 31 section 5312 here: http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/31/5312.html -

As for the other links, you'll need to do the research yourself if you're so inclined, since I haven't been able to find them online, and don't really have time to do a reporter's job.

[LPM1888]

yeah, lets get Dean in there and another set of judicial tyrants with lifetime appointments. they will surely protect the constitution.

If Bush is going to sell us out what difference does it make?

[deport]

http://thomas.loc.gov/

Then insert in the word or phrase section: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004

Then choose #3 on the list and select text if necessary

I'd give you a link but Thomas times out quickly....

[Lower55]

My reading comprehension skills earned me a nice gpa in college

I think the key word here is "reading".

[HiTech RedNeck]

One of the few boons that would come from a Dean presidency is that the ACLU would be on this like white on rice, and he'd fold. Just about everything else, a nightmare.

[LibertyAndJusticeForAll]

"...the FBI had just obtained the power to probe their financial records, even if the feds don't suspect their involvement in crime or terrorism. "

Okay, I'll ask you again, is this statement from the article true or false? I'm assuming it is true.
Please don't answer again that it is out of context, unless you care to detail exactly what you mean by out of context.

[deport]

The Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 was signed into law on Dec. 13 and placed in the Congressional Record as such....

12/13/2003 Became Public Law No: 108-177.