Groups Fight Patriot Act Reauthorization

[Judi Lynn]

Groups Fight Patriot Act Reauthorization

By JESSE J. HOLLAND
Associated Press Writer

March 23, 2005, 4:19 AM EST

WASHINGTON -- Conservative and liberal groups normally at each other's throats over the direction of government are finding common cause in wanting to gut major provisions of the government's premier anti-terrorism law.

The American Civil Liberties Union, the American Conservative Union, Americans for Tax Reform and the Free Congress Foundation are among several groups that formed a coalition -- Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances -- to lobby Congress to repeal three key provisions of the USA Patriot Act.

Having people from all sides of the political spectrum working together will keep politicians from calling Patriot Act opponents un-American or willing to help terrorists, which happened during the original debate over the law, the groups said.

"We don't want this argument to be obscured by those who would suggest that anyone who is for more and more government power is somehow on the side of the right, and those who are against it or are skeptical of such grants are on the side of the wrong," said David Keene of the American Conservative Union. "This is an important question of all Americans on the left, the right or in the middle."
(snip/...)

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-patriot-act,0,5943472.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[adwon]

1. Bob Barr and the ACLU?

The only thing that comes to mind is from Ghostbusters:

"Dogs and cats living together; mass hysteria!"

[LittleClarkie]

2. Indeed

Surely the end is nigh.

[Wabbajack]

3. Didn't Barr endorse Kerry?

[salin]

5. I would find that hard to believe

yes he is on the right side of the Patriot Act (that is - against it) but I would suspect that he, like Dick Army (another uber repub who is against the PAtriot Act) still shills for repubs on other issues. But if you are correct - Iwould love to read about it.

[Daphne08]

4. I watched part of this on C-Span last night and

if we Americans have any hope at all of saving our civil liberties, I think we are going to have to do it through compromise since we simply do not have the Congressional votes to do otherwise.

I would urge everyone to view it on C-Span.org (http://www.c-span.org). It is entitled "Conference to Restore Checks & Balances to the Patriot Act" (03/22/2005)

[Liberty Belle]

6. Grover Norquist opposes the Patriot Act??!!!?!

And just because the Patriot Act hasn't been abused yet doesn't mean it won't be by government officials in the future, said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

"Many of us remember what happened with RICO," the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, Norquist said. "It was originally passed and they were going to go after organized crime figures in dark shirts and they ended up using it against pro-life demonstrators years later."

[AlCzervik]

8. Grover doesn't want the "Charity" groups

and stink tanks he lobbies for looked into.

[sarcasmo]

7. Doesn't the King want to undermine civil liberties. Martial Law is much

easier to make happen with the Patriot Act in place.