Posted on 02/08/2011 5:11:43 PM PST by speciallybland
A measure to extend key provisions of the Patriot Act counterterrorism surveillance law through December failed the House Tuesday night, with more than two-dozen Republicans bucking their party to oppose the measure.
The House measure, which was sponsored by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) and required a two-thirds majority for passage, failed on a 277-to-148 vote. Twenty-six Republicans voted with 122 Democrats to oppose the measure, while 67 Democrats voted with 210 Republicans to back it. Ten members did not vote.
The measure would have extended three key provisions of the Patriot Act that are set to expire on Monday, Feb. 28, unless Congress moves to reauthorize them. One of the provisions authorizes the FBI to continue using roving wiretaps on surveillance targets; the second allows the government to access "any tangible items," such as library records, in the course of surveillance; and the third is a "lone wolf" provision of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorist Prevention Act that allows for the surveillance of targets who are not connected to an identified terrorist group.
(Excerpt) Read more at voices.washingtonpost.com ...
Both Bush and Obama have been desperate to trumpet their “war on terror” victories. And yet, not a single success linked to the PATRIOT Act.
I cannot believe it. I thought they would extend that crappy legislation and then make it permanent. Bush and his Patriot Act took away more freedoms in one bill that most Americans have a clue about. It never should have passed and it needs to expire. And I don’t need to hear a bunch of BS about it I voted for Bush twice I’m sorry to say.
"Oh horse-feces. Obi and his AQ minions have been laughing themselves silly at our kneejerk reactions to their operations. Remember the recent ink cartridge operation out of Yemen. It cost them approximately $4200 (including shipping), it cost us a lot more after. We have lost our liberties due to the likes of the Patriot Act, and OBL knows it."
Are you on LSD?
No but you seemed to be brainwashed.
LOL, yeah, because if there were any successes the Bush Administration, the NSA, the CIA, and the FBI would have gone public and let everybody know about it, complete with a narrative on how they nailed the bad guys... Are you another one on LSD? Keep your day job, and please don't look into any opportunities in the national security or intel fields.
‘Uh, why did it require a 2/3 majority to pass? (And incidentally, given that requirement, the 26 Republicans made absolutely no difference to the outcome).’
First it was considered under a motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill not under the regular procedure. This takes two/thirds. It will be brought back under the regular order and pass, since it has a majority.
Second, if the 26 Republicans had switched it would have passed with over 300 votes to about 120, well over 2/3.
‘Uh, why did it require a 2/3 majority to pass? (And incidentally, given that requirement, the 26 Republicans made absolutely no difference to the outcome).’
First it was considered under a motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill not under the regular procedure. This takes two/thirds. It will be brought back under the regular order and pass, since it has a majority.
Second, if the 26 Republicans had switched it would have passed with over 300 votes to about 120, well over 2/3.
The same Bush administration that chose to declassify information when politically convenient? Yes, I’d be crazy to think they would do that.
You caught me. I drop acid every day. In between pizza deliveries. Which I get paid under the table for. Lets me stay on welfare.
Probably good news by accident.
These 26 are obviously way smarter and more CONSERVATIVE than the TWO HUNDRED TEN GOP members that voted to FIGHT THE RAGHEADS.
Homeland Security decided to expand what constitutes a terrorist beyond Islamic terrorism. They are creating a KGB spying operation on Americans - not just Islamists. Crime is now called terrorism.
When they started randomly sexually molesting obviously innocent people at the airports, and the handicapped (the old lady with the pacemaker setting off the metal detector) that was it for me. I don’t want to live in a prison Nation.
While they are classifing Americans they don’t like - conservatives - as domestic terrorists, they have the border wide open knowing Islamic terrorists are crossing the borders and knowing that they have access to nuclear material and biological weapons.
Our President hosts the Muslim Brotherhood at White House events and has hired some into the Executive Branch. The MB is responsible for creating all these terrorist groups we supposedly being protected from. And what about Fort Hood? Political correctness protected a murderous jihadist everyone knew was dangerous RIGHT IN THE ARMY. Homeland security is not focused on Islamic terrorism nor is our government committed to protecting us from Islam.
Our government is too stupid (Republican influence) and evil (Democrat influence) to be trusted with that power. They turned it against Americans in the name of fighting Islam. We gave it a try, trusting the government to not abuse us with the power of the Patriot Act. That trust was totally violated.
Since they already showed they have NO RESPECT nor loyality for the constitution, they can never be trusted by us again. That goes for the politicans and government employees.
Not only is this a huge victory for the Jihadis, its a huge victory for the marxists and the enemy within, who were on the ropes thanks to McCarthy, and have come full circle to operating unfettered and openly at the highest levels of the US Government.
The Republicans will make a difference when the House leaders start picking off Dems with pork to vote for it. The Tea Party is not going to betray the constitutional rights of Americans again. We have seen the Patriot act in action and it has little to do with protecting America from terrorism and a lot to do with violating the rights of Americans.
Many on both sides recognize they've been on the wrong side of the issue.
I do not trust the current administration or today's Washington bureaucracy with this kind of power.
Interesting statement. Am I to presume that "fighting the ragheads" is wrong-headed? And that taking proper precautions in wartime -- vs even "ragheads" -- is a bad idea?
There is nothing intrinsically wrong with laws that are designed to secure the public safety in wartime -- particularly if that war may be fought on your own soil.
The problem is not the law, it is the people that we have elected to enforce it. Just as it's not guns that kill people; people kill people.
The real message in this dispute is about the value of character in our elected officials.
Yes, it just gave the justice department the tools for spy on terrorists and kept us safe. That’s all.
Yes, let’s cheer for the liberties we will have when we are dead!
thanks for adding some sanity to the thread. There is ample evidence that tools like this are not used to target “RAGHEADS”, in someone’s cartoon image of the world. We see such “RAGHEADS” ushered through security all the time while non-RAGHEAD grandmothers get searched. The right tool to fight terrorism is smart people with direct contact at the border or a cop on the street. They already know everything they need to know to stop terrorism although no system is going to be perfect. The Patriot Act, lazy-cop tools are used to build entrapment cases from 1000 miles away and send a few irrelevant and stupid flunkies to the pen. The smart ones are not going to be caught by a roving wiretap.
NH state motto.
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