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Patriot Act May Get Renamed, but With a Few Changes
WASHINGTON - The USA Patriot Act, a favorite of the Bush administration's fight against terrorism, may be renamed later this year as the Justice Act at the hands of congressional Democrats.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., holds up a copy of National Security Investigations and Prosecutions, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009, on Capitol Hill in Washington during the committee's hearing on the reauthorization of the Patriot Act. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) But the law, including its provisions that gave FBI agents more leeway to search computers and bank records, is likely to survive, albeit with changes to limit who can be searched.
"Security and liberty are both essential in our free society," Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said Tuesday in introducing a bill to extend three provisions of the law due to expire Dec. 31.
As a senator from Illinois, Barack Obama was a critic of the Patriot Act. Last week, however, the Obama administration asked Congress to extend the three expiring of its provisions.
The House subcommittee on the Constitution held its first hearing Tuesday on extending the Patriot Act. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., the chairman, said the law has "aroused a great deal of controversy and concern" but "remains a useful tool."
The provisions set to expire are not the most contentious parts of the law.
Far more controversial is the FBI's use of so-called National Security Letters to obtain financial records and computer information -- without the approval of a judge. That provision is not set to expire, and Leahy and Nadler said Tuesday they will not seek to repeal that part of the law but will press for changes.
22 Comments so far
Show AllGolly, Obama is extending Bush's Patriot Act.
I guess that explains all commotion about Afghan terrorists coming to blow up our subways and hotels.
It helps, when your trying to push through legislation, to get the rabble frightened and wetting their pants so they won't raise any objections while the politicians are wiping their behinds with the constitution.
Yes, the timing of that didn't escape me either.
Will Keith Olberman notice?
You're right. Excellent observation.
Bring America Back !!!!.....!...Right !! Who of us is really surprised now that these are our affectionate Democrats continuing the destruction of the Constitution?
**For Team Obama, it is but one more cave-in to the campaign promises, and failure to stem the DC culture of corruption as pledged to us for our Votes !
**Sen Pat Leahy talks a good game, but just like his Truth Commission, theres not a chance in hell, he will do anything to restore Habeus Corpus, or any of the other damages done by the Neocon War Cheerleaders. His Judiciary Committee does nothing to investigate Bush/Cheney war crimes. NSA, or the Pentagon ! A worthless Democrat !
**Changing the Patriot Act to the Justice Act is an affront to anyone with a Brain. Silk purse out of a sows ear !
**Anybody who knows the Democrats and Neocons passed in the HOuse last year, a bill called..."Homegrown Terrorism Act"
etc etc, which passed by a vote of 405 to 6, realizes the Democrats never intended to undo any of the radical damages done to our Constitution by Team Bush, and that in the name of pseudo-terrorism, they can put forth even worse.
**That bill sponsored by California Democrat Jane Harman,
of recent AIPAC influence scandals.
**No wonder Team Obama refuses to 'look backwards' since, when they do, they see not only Neocon war criminals, but they see their enablers===no-impeachment Pelosi; milquetoast Leahy, and demogogue blue-dog Jane Harman !
Can anyone dispute that we are already deep witnin the
third term of King George the W .?? Who Knew ???
Who knew? I do not mean this egotistically but I and many others knew but our voices were drowned out by the consummate con man and his conned constituency. How about this: what if someone bombed your home and killed most of your family and BO showed up after you called the police to find out who was culpable, and he told you: we need to look forward! That my friends is exactly what he has done to the 3000 families that had their loved ones murdered on 911!
"our voices were drowned out by the consummate con man"
YES WE CON!
YES WE CON!
YES WE CON!
Yes, the "Patriot Act" needs a new name.
How about the "Unconstitutional Act," or the "Unpatriotic Act," or even the "Anti-American Act?"
Savage sez: "As a senator from Illinois, Barack Obama was a critic of the Patriot Act."
***
No, he wasn't.
Though "Patriot Act critic" was printed on his package label.
Change Obama style means changing the labels of things.
Do with the "Patriot Act" what the Democratic Republicans led by Thomas Jefferson did with the Alien and Sedition Acts. Let this piece dog do do expire!
Now's the time for a filibuster to stop this unpatriotic non sense.
AD
This is when people show up in huge numbers side by side with the right which is also sick of what has happened to the Constitution, and not leave DC til the Act is DEAD, by any name.
o bullcrap Moore
The "Justice Act"?
How lame is THAT? What the hell's wrong with the FREEDOM Act?
· Yr Obd't Servant
It should be called the Niemöller Act.
Joe
Same dog, different collar, huh?
They should re-name it The Brainwashing Act or The Fearmongering Act which is more reflective of what all of that BS is truly about.
The My Pet Goat Act.
One of the things on my to do list is to piss on jedgarhoovers grave. I'll check it out on mapquest.
Not to intrude upon a matter of personal honor, but consider the rumors that Hoover was INTO that. You might actually end up doing his restless spirit a favor.
Just sayin'.
· Yr Obd't Servant
The few are showered in gold.
We the many get golden showers.
PEOPLE:
OBAMA IS AND ALWAYS WAS AN ELITIST AND A CORPORATIST.
IF YOU PEOPLE THAT VOTED FOR HIM CHECKED HIS VOTING RECORD, YOU WOULD KNOW THAT.
4 MORE YEARS AND YES, A 3RD TERM OF BUSH IS IN STORE FOR US:
CONTINUED WAR
STILL NO HEALTHCARE(ONLY MANDATES FOR INSURANCE COMPANIES)
NO JOBS (NAFTA, WTO)
WELFARE FOR THE RICH (BANKS)
WAKE UP AND VOTE FOR DENNIS KUCINICH NEXT TIME.
SEND MONEY AND YOUR VOICES NOW AND HE WILL WIN!