Obama signs One-Year extension for the Patroit Act.

[RobMoney$]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/02/27/obama-signs-year-extension-patriot-act/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%253A+foxnews%252Fpolitics+%2528T ext+-+Politics%2529


Obama Signs One-Year Extension of Patriot Act

President Barack Obama has signed a one-year extension of several provisions in the nation's main counterterrorism law, the Patriot Act.

Provisions in the measure would have expired on Sunday without Obama's signature Saturday.

The act, which was adopted in the weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, expands the government's ability to monitor Americans in the name of national security.

Three sections of the Patriot Act that stay in force will:

--Authorize court-approved roving wiretaps that permit surveillance on multiple phones.

--Allow court-approved seizure of records and property in anti-terrorism operations.

--Permit surveillance against a so-called lone wolf, a non-U.S. citizen engaged in terrorism who may not be part of a recognized terrorist group.

Obama's signature comes after the House voted 315 to 97 Thursday to extend the measure.

The Senate also approved the measure, with privacy protections cast aside when Senate Democrats lacked the necessary 60-vote supermajority to pass them. Thrown away were restrictions and greater scrutiny on the government's authority to spy on Americans and seize their records.

I await the Democratic outrage...

[cj hood]

Why don't republicans cry socialist over this?

[valvano]

Why don't republicans cry socialist over this?

republicans have protested previous expansions of the patriot act

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/20/AR2005122001488.html

[DroppinScience]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/02/27/obama-signs-year-extension-patriot-act/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%253A+foxnews%252Fpolitics+%2528T ext+-+Politics%2529



I await the Democratic outrage...

Oh believe me, there is bi-partisan BULLSHIT when it comes to the Patriot Act. Only Russ Feingold had the good sense to vote against it in the first place.

[Documad]

I await the Democratic outrage...

You're a democrat. Are you outraged?

I'm not on top of this latest bill, I'll admit. Why should I be outraged by those three provisions? Does "court order" mean something funny?

[DroppinScience]

You're a democrat. Are you outraged?


And a "life-long" one too!

[RobMoney$]

I'm a registered Democrat, not a sheep.
You can follow the holy democratic trinity of liars (Obama, Pelosi, & Reid) down every path they lead you, but I will not.

[Documad]

I'm still confused at the comment re democrats. It's not like the republicans voted against the extension. (Did McCain vote against it?)

I think the whole congress is gutless. I'm prepared to believe the worst, but is there a decent source re what was really at stake in this vote? I'm only finding right wing anti government websites rehashing old stuff and the discussion there isn't particularly coherent.

[DroppinScience]

Does this link help, Doc?

http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/constitution/3035-obama-signs-patriot-act-extension

It looks like nearly ALL Republicans voted for the extension (Ron Paul being one of the few exceptions).

[RobMoney$]

Perhaps he will decide to sign an extension to keep enemy combatants detained at Guantanamo Bay next?

Apparently some people don't even remember what the issues were when they voted, they just know they supported Obama, and whatever he does, they must support that.

We are a nation of idiots.

[DroppinScience]

Perhaps he will decide to sign an extension to keep enemy combatants detained at Guantanamo Bay next?

Apparently some people don't even remember what the issues were when they voted, they just know they supported Obama, and whatever he does, they must support that.

We are a nation of idiots.

Are you trying to be halfway coherent? As far as I can tell, most Democrats voted for the extension (but a fairly sizable portion did not) and nearly 100% of Republicans also voted for the extension. This is bipartisan idiocy at its finest, and this includes Obama and the White House.

You focusing only on the Democrats is myopic. The system itself needs an overhaul.

[RobMoney$]

Republicans have always been for it, and continue to be...so why would I be critical of them? McCain said what his intentions were in regards to this.

The Dems were the ones crying about Bush trampling all over the Constitution when he was in power and how he needed to be removed at all costs.

MEET THE NEW BOSS, DEMS!

[DroppinScience]

Republicans have always been for it, and continue to be...so why would I be critical of them? McCain said what his intentions were in regards to this.

The Dems were the ones crying about Bush trampling all over the Constitution when he was in power and how he needed to be removed at all costs.

MEET THE NEW BOSS, DEMS!

Of course, wishing to score points rather than advocate for an entire system overhaul.

[Dorothy Wood]

Republicans being in favor of the Patriot Act has never made sense to me.

eh, getting upset doesn't help anything. It seems like a certain amount of surveillance is necessary in combating terrorism. the vote was 315 to 97, you gotta pick your battles.

leadership isn't about us vs. them, it's about working together to make decisions for the country that benefit the most people.

[DroppinScience]

eh, getting upset doesn't help anything. It seems like a certain amount of surveillance is necessary in combating terrorism. the vote was 315 to 97, you gotta pick your battles.

I'd be cautious before coming to a position such as that. If there is to be any kind of surveillance, oversight, court ordered authorizations, etc. are the responsible way to go. Warrantless wiretapping, unauthorized spying on U.S. citizens that seem to be the norm in the Patriot Act aren't the way to go.

[RobMoney$]

Republicans being in favor of the Patriot Act has never made sense to me.

eh, getting upset doesn't help anything. It seems like a certain amount of surveillance is necessary in combating terrorism. the vote was 315 to 97, you gotta pick your battles.

leadership isn't about us vs. them, it's about working together to make decisions for the country that benefit the most people.


Well, I'm all for working together, just as long as it doesn't involve me forfeiting any of my freedoms in the name of "safety".

[Documad]

I'd be cautious before coming to a position such as that. If there is to be any kind of surveillance, oversight, court ordered authorizations, etc. are the responsible way to go. Warrantless wiretapping, unauthorized spying on U.S. citizens that seem to be the norm in the Patriot Act aren't the way to go.

I agree with your point in general, but that's why I found this particular thread confusing. The thing Rob quoted said that this authorized three things: two things where you need court-ordered authorization and one thing that impacts non-citizens. I'm not sure why I should be outraged, how this implicates the US constitution. Apparently other things that were in the patriot act before aren't part of this reauthorization? Is that why everyone voted for it?


And Rob, I didn't vote for Obama because of the patriot act or Iraq. I knew he wasn't a liberal. I knew that he promised to ramp things up in Afghanistan. These were things that didn't seem any different from McCain's positions so they didn't matter when I was deciding between two candidates. Now, apparently a lot of people assumed that he was a liberal but I've never understood why. I knew he was a corporate-type guy (like his wife) so I wasn't surprised when status quo was preserved re the banks. I voted for him because of issues where I thought he and McCain disagreed, like the judiciary, the environment, labor rights, etc. Plus I was repulsed by the way McCain embraced everything he used to protest about the republicans. I've been disappointed with Obama for many reasons but not for any of the reasons you've posted. I am sorry that he wasted his momentum on the wrong issues. I'm sorry that he spent so much time trying to pretend to work on bipartisan issues when we knew the republicans weren't going to play along.

And I'm super frustrated with the democrats in congress, even though I am pleased with the ones who represent me. I can't do anything about the people elected in other jurisdictions, except to grind my teeth.

[Documad]

Does this link help, Doc?

http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/constitution/3035-obama-signs-patriot-act-extension

It looks like nearly ALL Republicans voted for the extension (Ron Paul being one of the few exceptions).

I did read this. I wish that Kucinich would give examples of what his problem is, rather than making general statements. The news reporting about this is unbelievably lame. The articles all say the same thing as Rob's quote, which must be a gross generalization.

Or perhaps Rob could explain what freedoms he's having to forfeit. Is it that you don't trust the courts who are issuing the court orders?

[Bob]

I did read this. I wish that Kucinich would give examples of what his problem is, rather than making general statements. The news reporting about this is unbelievably lame. The articles all say the same thing as Rob's quote, which must be a gross generalization.


yeah i'm a little confused by the way it was worded in that quote (which is from the AP, who i usually like, so that's frustrating). they made it sound like without obama's signature, the patriot act would have expired, but they also say he signed it after the house voted to extend it, so wouldn't his failure or refusal to sign it just be a veto? and wouldn't that be kind of pointless since it already had two-thirds support in at least the house (i haven't been able to find any numbers on the senate vote)? or was this a special case where the normal veto rules don't apply and the president can unilaterally make the law go away?

i feel guilty for not knowing this since i majored in poli sci and by all means i really ought to know more about how the government works but oh well

[Documad]

Yay! I feel better knowing that Bob doesn't understand it.

[GreenEarthAl]

"... in the land of the free/ see we know all about Democracy.
You can vote for Rick/ to come and crack you with a big stick
Or you can vote for Mike/ to REALLY clock you with a Lead Pipe!
And you're like/ No. No. No. A lead pipe's not what I like
So now your SKULL is getting THICK from being WHACKED WITH A STICK!"

-me

[Planetary]

"... in the land of the free/ see we know all about Democracy.
You can vote for Rick/ to come and crack you with a big stick
Or you can vote for Mike/ to REALLY clock you with a Lead Pipe!
And you're like/ No. No. No. A lead pipe's not what I like
So now your SKULL is getting THICK from being WHACKED WITH A STICK!"

-me

straight up n down