"rising concern over his handling of the war on terrorism" - sounds like the LA Times' fabricated concern, not mine. Many of the Senators voting against cloture are the same ones who say the war on terrorism hasn't made us any safer. So they want to weaken the Patriot Act to make us safer? Or maybe they don't really believe what they say about the war not making us safer? Or maybe they don't care about security at all? Or maybe they are just reckless, stupid, or totally dishonest about everything? I think that's it.
If the Patriot Act was about security, it would emphasize securing our southern border. However, the southern border is not even mentioned in the PA. The only border that is mentioned is our northern border.
It is not about security. It is about power, and control.