[Mark Felton]

"All liberty flows from the barrel of a gun"

[afz400]

"It's very worrisome."
If this is our response to terrorism, then the terrorists won.

[Possenti]

President Bush's advisers have assured a skittish public that law-abiding Americans have no reason to fear the long reach of the antiterrorism law...

Assuming Bush and his people are sincere and benevolent (which I don't), we need to ask ourselves what future administrations will do with these broad new powers. Let's not kid ourselves that this, or any law will "sunset" after the "threat" is over. Wait and see if Bush will allow the AW ban to "sunset" next year.

To paraphrase P.J. O'Rourke:
Giving more money and/or power to the federal government is like giving whiskey and car keys to a teenager. No matter how much they beg and plead, and assure you they'll be responsible, it's a recipe for destruction.

[GatekeeperBookman]

Said the King of Siam, "Is a puzzlement"-how to save ourselves from maniacs who are all 'round & want to kill us all-but endure what the NEXT administration will then do to US, with the tools we leave lying around?? Is a puzzlement.

I saw the King say this, to Anna, at the old Alley Theatre, circa 1967.

[Pylot]

"Trust me" - Joseph Stalin

[Possenti]

Bush also wants to expand the use of the death penalty in crimes such as terrorist financing

Great. Who defines "terrorist financing"? Most of us know who the "terrorists" were during the Clinton administration, don't we?

[itzmygun]

“Experience should teach us to be most on guard to protect liberty when the Government’s purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.” —United States v. Olmstead, 277 U.S. 438, 479 (1925)

[poet]

"The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false-face for the urge to rule it."-- H.L. Mencken

Isn't it curious that they pass all these restrictive laws and still refuse to lock-down our borders? The "war" on terrorism is BS.

Does anyone really believe Bush is a conservative? Can you hear me now?

[drypowder]

Bush is seeking broad new authority to allow federal agents -- without the approval of a judge or a federal prosecutor -- to demand private records and compel testimony

Sounds like tyranny to me! If it passes and one protests it, one will be scrutinized and possibly jailed. The Bush Admin may not abuse it but God forbid if there is ever another Clinton like Admin. They wouldn't need arkincides any longer.

[nightowl]

NYT is lying once again. The measure would extend the federal death penalty to TERRORISTS who sabotage a military or nuclear facility that causes the DEATH OF AMERICANS & hold them without bail!!! DUH! Also, the administrative subpoena power is not new, it already is used for bank fraud, child abuse, etc. Surely it can also be used to catch terrorists who want to kill us. This is a typical Bush-Ashcroft hit piece by the corrupt NYT.

[OXENinFLA]

http://www.senate.gov/

http://www.house.gov/


CALL/WRITE/E-MAIL YOUR CONGRESSMAN.

[FreeReign]

But in a plan announced last week to expand counterterrorism powers, Bush adopted a very different tack. In a three-point presidential plan that some critics are already dubbing Patriot Act II, Bush is seeking broad new authority to allow federal agents -- without the approval of a judge or a federal prosecutor -- to demand private records and compel testimony.

This NY Times article doesn't document the claimed problem in the plan. Only the words of others are quoted but no quotes from the plan.

Do you have more info on this Mark, or is this it?

[A. Pole]

In a three-point presidential plan that some critics are already dubbing Patriot Act II, Bush is seeking broad new authority to allow federal agents -- without the approval of a judge or a federal prosecutor -- to demand private records[...]

Those records are being outsourced to India. I am sure it is much easier to browse them over there.