As our civil liberties dissappear, where are the Democrats? Nat Hentoff - V V

[BridgeTheGap]

We're All Suspects
As our civil liberties disappear, where are the Democrats?
by Nat Hentoff
September 11th, 2007

On October 11, 2001, the Senate was about to vote on the USA Patriot Act. Democratic majority leader Tom Daschle hastily called a caucus of his troops and ordered them not to vote for an amendment expected to come from their colleague, Russ Feingold of Wisconsin. Daschle knew what Feingold was planning, and if Democrats joined him, Bush would brand the party as unforgivably unpatriotic so soon after 9/11.
Recognize any of these changes in your country today? Despite Feingold's words, the Patriot Act passed the Senate 98 to 1.

This year, just before the August recess, enough cowardly Democrats gave Bush and Cheney the votes they needed to pass the Protect America Act of 2007, radically expanding the warrantless surveillance of telephones calls and e-mails when Americans communicate with people outside the country or are called from abroad by someone "reasonably" linked to terrorism.

http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0737,hentoff,77738,6.html

[Bitwit1234]

1. What I can't understand

is this....bush and the republicans views do not support those of the American people. WE don't want the war to continue, WE don't want the warrantless wiretapping. WHY doesn't the majority of democrats in congress understand that going against bush and the republican does not constitute going AGAINST the troops. It does not make them unpatriotic, it does not show they are not capable of protecting this country. IT WILL SHOW THEY HAVE GUTS..............................................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

VOTING TO END THE WAR SUPPORTS THE TROOPS. The American people will not go against congress if they end this war. Not ending this war supports bush. And I can not for the life of me understand why the democrats do not understand this. The American people will not go against the democrats for ending the war....The American people will support the democrats.

Are the democrats in office more stupid than republicans, must be.

[terisan]

2. Hentoff shouldn't be lecturing others; he paved the road to hell with his own pro-war

cheerleading. As I recall he is also against women's rights to make decisions about their bodies. Possibly he is now awakening to the possibility his own rights will be curtailed.