Comments on: Senate rebuffs Bush on Patriot Act

Bipartisan vote defies the president and makes pro-civil liberties reforms more likely when Senate returns in January.

[heystoopid]

Oh well, at least the Senate is on the ball?

Oh well, there is some hope for democracy yet?,as they saw the unwanted extra draconian amendments unnecessary, to the function of the bill!

Undoubtedly, we will now see the extreme right wingers, using Fox Media, come out swinging with every piece of misinformation and other KARL ROVE arms length dirty third texas party roundhouse style tatics, to slag these good senators, who are trying to do the right thing!

Bad Dog, Karl

Isn't he going to be frog-marched out of the
White House real soon now?

That special prosecutor guy seems pretty
determined to get him, and Karl hasn't been
seen in public much lately. He hasn't even
showed up to receive payoffs from his friends
in the H1-B lobbyist community. . .

I'd say that Mr. Rove is too busy to slag for
the "Patriot Act" at this time.

[Scottiebill]

Patriot Act stoppage

The terrorist-appeasing side of the Senate once again ignored any and all possible threats against our country by the terrorists bent on destroying us by rejecting the Patriot Act yesterday. Pogo once said in the Walt Kelly comic strip, "We have met the enemy and he is us!" This Senate vote just proved that statement in grand form.

[stealt403]

Fox news

Fox news is not allied with the extreme right. I do think they lean more to the right then cnn and msnbc, but please don't exaggerate so much. And by the way, cnn and msnbc lean slightly to the left, so even if a news agency is is in the middle, they are still to the right of cnn.

[ozziegt]

Finally

I'm glad it's being stopped somewhere. Although chances are that a 3 month extension will go through and they will try again next year.

[BattleAce7101]

Go Senate!

I often do not like the Democrats but they are doing an excellent job stopping this unconstitutional act! They have my approval to put an end to the patriot act. But, he will just cause a new war with Iran and implement martial law.

[BattleAce7101]

boarders

Bush says that National security is at stake but he leaves the boarders wide open!

[Bill Dautrive]

Small problem

Many of these senators are the ones that offered no objection the first time around and created this constitutional mess.

If they had done their jobs right, this would not be an issue today. Heck if they had stood up to him in 2001, we might not be in a pointless and illegal war that has nothing to do with fighting terrorism, all the while Bin Laden has never even been in danger from us.

The fact is that Bush had a ton a power after 9/11 because of legit fear and the fear mongering done by him and his administration, and the senators just went along. Now that most people have seen Bush as the immoral, corrupt,incompetant moron that he is, and his popularity rating is in the toilet, these worthless senators have found a little backbone.

4 years too late. Everyone who voted for the treaonous patriot act should not only be voted out of office, but in jail on charges of treason.

[UnwelcomeAmerican]

Come on down

Let's welcome all those terrorists onboard. I only wish that would target those Senators and not me next.

[Bill Dautrive]

Coward

You think taking away our freedoms makes us safer and is worth it if it is true.

Cowardice is not an american value.

[TimeBomb]

Come off it

Oh yes, throwing away petty civil liberties like the ability to be free from government surveillance--unless it is duly warranted--is nothing. Have you read any part of the U.S. Constitution? The US Patriot Act violates several portions of it. Do you really not care?

[aabcdefghij987654321]

Patriot act was supposed to replace the constitution

Have you not heard? A lot of people think that the constitution is obsolete and really too permissive. They want the patriot act to replace it.

Maybe they want to change the name from United States of America (USA...) to Union of Sorry State Realities (USSR)

[sbwinn]

While we are on the Constitution. . .

How about we get rid of all the ridiculous rulings that have taken
power away from the States under the auspices of the Interstate
Commerce clause? It is amazing the rhetorical back-flips people
will do to justify consolidating federal power.

How about that non-existent right to privacy? How about free
speech being extended to cover anything you feel like doing?
How about Congress shall have sole power to declare war?
"Police" and "Humanitarian" actions are pure BS.

When Ginsburg started citing international law in her decisions
she should have been impeached on the spot.

[Bill Dautrive]

Agreed

Any power that is not expressly granted to the federal government belongs solely to the states. Some people seem to have forgotten that important clause, and it was deemed important because too mauch power is corrupting as the founders knew and feared, and their worst fears have been realized.

Although I have to admit that I think things like meat inspections and other federal checks on corporate abuse are good. This wasn't an issue in 1776, but corporations have shown they can not be trusted to not harm people or the enviroment if there is a fast buck to be made in doing so.

[zanxxx]

What do you mean, "not in the constitution?"

Try reading the 9th Amendment- "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."
There is your right to privacy!
Contrary to the miserly interpretations of "strict constructionists" (sic), the Constitution grants rights not specifically mentioned.
In reality Bush had secretly made the debate over the "Patriot Act" moot by signing an illegal executive order allowing the NSA to wiretap and monitor within the borders of the United States and against American citizens. This information follows on the heels of multiple court rulings against the use of cellphone tracking without court warrants that Federal Agencies have engaged in. Also it has come to light recently that various military intelligence agencies have recently been allowed to gather and share intelligence on Americans within this countries borders.
I think it's time to consider impeachment against this lawless Bush regime.

[casper2004]

Maybe the media pulled the wool over our eyes. They've been known to do it

Maybe the Senate did pass the extension on the Patriot Act permanently and the media is just saying that they didn't to make us think our Senators actually care.

[bobthepirate]

Why?

That wouldn't really work unless you are suggesting they also engineered a fake vote on C-SPAN too, which would take a lot of energy and time and would just be easier to just tell the truth. Besides, to some people that would send a message to people that the senators don't care about their safety because they don't support security. I'm not one of those people, but I'm just saying they are out there.

[bobthepirate]

Why?

That wouldn't really work unless you are suggesting they also engineered a fake vote on C-SPAN too, which would take a lot of energy and time and would just be easier to just tell the truth. Besides, to some people that would send a message to people that the senators don't care about their safety because they don't support security. I'm not one of those people, but I'm just saying they are out there.

[Bob Brinkman]

maybe....

I am a hyper intelligent rock that grew hands and figured out how to type this sentance, and you finaly gave me the chance to.