Facts about the Patriot Act

[ProSense]

Obama was a co-sponsor of an amendment to the bill in 2006:

A bill to amend the Patriot Act is introduced:

109th CONGRESS

2d Session

S . 2369
To require a more reasonable period for delayed-notice search warrants, to provide enhanced judicial review of FISA orders and national security letters, to require an enhanced factual basis for a FISA order, and to create national security letter sunset provisions.


IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 6, 2006
Mr. SPECTER (for himself, Mr. LEAHY, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mr. SUNUNU, Mr. FEINGOLD, Mr. CRAIG, Mr. HAGEL, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. SALAZAR, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. OBAMA, and Mr. KERRY) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

It was used to expose the Bush administration:

Statement of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold
On the Administration Secretly Seeking Information on 3501 Americans Last Year

April 29, 2006

"I am pleased that one 'sunshine' provision in the Patriot Act reauthorization has given the public a chance to see how often the administration has obtained the business records of Americans. It should not have taken an Act of Congress for this information to be made public. But it does demonstrate why Congress must make a few more critical changes to the Patriot Act, including a check on the government's power to obtain Americans' sensitive business records. Judiciary Committee Chairman Specter has introduced legislation containing those modifications, and I hope that we can pass that bill this year."

Kerry wrote the money laundering sections of the current bill:

In 2000, Kerry introduced legislation to provide the federal government with the authority to make the laundering of money more difficult for criminals and terrorists. That legislation became Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act, which provides the federal government with the authority to leverage the power of United States financial markets to move countries like Syria and Lebanon to reform and enforce their counter-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing laws.

“The measured use of Section 311 authority against Syria and Lebanon provides the United States an opportunity to demonstrate leadership in the fight against international terrorism and money laundering.”

The Secretary of State has designated Syria as a state whose government has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism and has provided designated foreign terrorist organizations, such as Hamas and Hizballah, with sanctuary. The International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), a group of federal agencies with anti-money laundering responsibilities, has classified Syria as a country to be monitored for potential money laundering. There have been a number of published reports stating that individuals from Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi regime have attempted to move to Syria and may be using the its financial system to divert funds which have been stolen from the Iraqi people.

The Financial Crime Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has conducted an analysis of the Suspicious Activity Reporting System (SAR) related to Lebanon for the period of January 2002 through October 2003. The FinCEN analysis has revealed 286 SARs that could be linked to transactions associated with suspicious or fraudulent wire transfer activities between Lebanon and other countries. Many of these transactions were structured in an attempt to avoid reporting requirements. Two of the SARs describe the reason for their filing as directly related to possible terrorist activities.

Statement of U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Russ Feingold on the Administration's Willingness to Consider PATRIOT Act Reforms

The good parts of the bill work, the bad parts of the bill can be repealed and the weak parts strengthened.

[phleshdef]

1. I think they should just rename the damn thing when they amend it, just to shut people up.

[Cha]

3. What could we call it?

Patriot doesn't seem so Orwellian to me now.

[phleshdef]

6. Its just the stigma the name carries, the words themselves are fine.

Just call it something boring like the National Security Act of 2009.

[Cha]

7. I know..I could get down with

the National Security Act of 2009.

[Cha]

13. We have a couple of prime examples right

on this thread.

[Umbral]

21. How about we reject Luntz and his ilk and call it what it is: The Un-American Act? nt

[Cant trust em]

4. Yep. It's left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.

[ProSense]

14. It will not matter. Look at how much effort went into distorting a public option. n/t

[Cha]

2. Gee, facts underneath all the shouting..

Stupendous!

[IndianaGreen]

5. Only an apologist like you would defend the PATRIOT Act

Have you no shame?

[ProSense]

9. Don't be ignorant. Deal with facts instead of your bitterness. n/t

[IndianaGreen]

10. Unlike you, I have opposed PATRIOT since it was first enacted

You are just another enabler for tyranny!

[ProSense]

12. Unlike you, I can deal with reality without whining and

making all-or-nothing demands based on uninformed opinions. The world isn't about you, it's not your way or the highway. Deal with it.

[IndianaGreen]

15. Your frequent use of the 'whining' libel, which you have used against supporters of single payer

has gotten quite tiresome. The issue is our civil liberties, which apparently you are quite happy to flush down the toilet just like Cheney was.

[ProSense]

16. Nonsense. There are plenty of single-payer supporters who aren't whining.

If the shoe fits...

[IndianaGreen]

17. The PATRIOT jackboot certainly fits you!

[ProSense]

18. Your aversion to facts has long been noted.

Keep whining.

[IndianaGreen]

19. Your shrill authoritarianism is self-evident

[ProSense]

20. Are you four years old? n/t

[IndianaGreen]

22. Are you projecting again?

Projection, according to Carl Jung, occurs when a person sees in another qualities they themselves possess.

Read more: http://psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_is_proj...

[ProSense]

23. Here's a clue:

no matter how many times you respond, the facts in the OP don't change.

Look forward to your next irrelevant response.

[IndianaGreen]

24. The only irrelevant thing here is your inflated sense of self-importance

which wouldn't be so bad if it weren't coupled with your vicious personal attacks on other posters as you have done on this thread and others.

[ProSense]

26. What, ran out of silly smilies? n/t

[IndianaGreen]

29. We got you for that!

More Kool-Aid?

[Soylent Brice]

27. snoogens.

[joeycola]

57. very tiresome indeed.

[ZombieHorde]

73. "I can deal with reality without whining"

Seems to me like you are whining about other posters' whining, which is kind of funny if you think about it. You know it is kind of funny.

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ProSense]

36. .

Audacity or mendacity?

[Name removed]

41. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Forkboy]

46. LOL

[Name removed]

50. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Forkboy]

53. I would have laughed even it had been directed at me.

It was a pretty funny line.

[Soylent Brice]

8. now i've seen it all.

i don't give a fuck if Ghandi wrote the damned thing.

it's fucking ludicrous to even remotely consider keeping this piece of shit legislation intact in any way shape or form.

if there's shit in it worth saving then pass those things into law on their own, individually.

fucking bizarre.

[ProSense]

11. You don't have to give a "fuck," facts are facts just because you want to continue

screaming in the face of them, go ahead.

[Soylent Brice]

25. wow. interesting tactic.

i point out how bizarre it is to see anyone on a democratic message board trying to "clear up the facts" about the Patriotic Act (of all things).

basically like watching someone polish a turd.

then the polisher attempts to bully the person who was fucking confused in the first place to see such ridiculous shit being peddled here.

as i said before,

if there is anything worth a damn in there then it can stand on its own merits and be passed as individual bills. is that so unreasonable?

so, the Patriot Act is okay now because a (D) is in office?

FUCK. THAT.

the logic of this all is utterly staggering.

[ProSense]

28. "how bizarre it is to see anyone on a democratic message board trying to 'clear up the facts'"

Why, do you think being afraid of facts is or should become a Democratic trait?

[Soylent Brice]

30. uh, you're defending the Patriot Act. i mean, does that need an explanation?

is this fucking bizarro world???

did i fall through a black hole and get dropped into FR?

[ProSense]

32. You have in front of you the facts from Democrats, facts which are based on reality.

If you consider that bizarre, that's your problem.

[Soylent Brice]

31. oh yeah, and if you're going to quote me, use the whole quote:

i point out how bizarre it is to see anyone on a democratic message board trying to "clear up the facts" about the Patriotic Act (of all things).

[ProSense]

34. Do you think that makes a difference?

Feingold, Durbin, Kerry, Obama and others obviously are dealing with facts. You are simply insisting that these facts should be ignored.

[dflprincess]

44. Feingold was the only one to oppose the bill

it is hardly surprising that he would try and clean it up.

What is surprising is that anyone would think actions taken to fix the damn thing justify extending any parts of it after it expires.

[ProSense]

47. "What is surprising is that anyone would think actions...to fix the damn thing justify extending"

Anyone as in Feingold?

[dflprincess]

49. I don't see anything that says Feingold will support extending the act

if the reforms he wants aren't made.

[David Zephyr]

35. Discipleship noted.

.

[Soylent Brice]

37. !!

[ProSense]

38. .

Audacity or mendacity?

[David Zephyr]

39. Great Piece. Thanks for continuing to spotlight it. for me.

Proud Leftwinger.

[Name removed]

43. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

42. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Gormy Cuss]

40. There are no good parts to the bill. The whole thing should be swept into the dustbin.

Pointing out sections that added a few protections in the middle of an over-reaching, privacy-busting bill doesn't make them good. They're just not as bad as the whole act.

[dionysus]

45. normally i'm with ya but the patriot act is crap.

[newspeak]

48. I believe warrantless wiretapping is illegal

Before the Patriot Act, if a law enforcement agency asked the courts for a wiretap, they got it. They had to have reason, intent and some form of evidence. Illegal wiretapping can be abused. It can be abused by political opponents, it can be abused by those who wish to blackmail, it can be abused by those (like Hoover) going after certain innocent targets. However, following money, is an effective way to target those who are financing terrorist cells. Clinton attempted to pass a law to track money under a republican congress. They voted it down. Look at BCCI, and there are other banks that have closed their eyes on questionable banking transactions. If they really wanted to get rid of terrorism, target the funding. The corporations, literally, are making a killing off of war, the so-called "war on terrorism." Target the funding. And, these so-called war profiteering corporations better not be dealing with those who are deemed terrorists.

[Autumn]

51. A 24 caret gold plated piece of shit

is still a piece of shit, and that is the patriot act.

[ProSense]

54. A "piece of shit" which

a couple of the most progrssive members of the Senate are trying to reform.

[Autumn]

55. It doesn't matter WHO is trying to reform it,

it is still a piece of shit. That fact was true when Bush rammed it through and it doesn't stink any less now that it has been gold plated.

[ProSense]

56. It does matter.

A Republican would have a different idea of what constitues reform.

[Autumn]

58. No it really doesn't matter

who is trying to reform it to me. I will not accept that it is right, I wouldn't accept it with a republican and I won't accept it because of the Magic D. Not gonna happen.

[ProSense]

59. You don't have to accept anything.

You just have to face reality, or not.

[Autumn]

60. My reality is , the

patriot act fucking sucks, just because a few Democrats embrace it doesn't mean dick to me. That is MY reality , and I don't care what yours is, you accept it all you want. Thats a fact. There is always another election.

[ProSense]

61. "There is always another election."

And if Patriot Act supporting Hillary were in it, you would run excitedly to the polls to vote for her.

[Autumn]

62. LOL you are funny

and you just have an opinion, and opinions are like assholes, everybody has one or is one. My opinion is the patriot act is a piece of shit. You aren't going to convince me it's anything else , your facts are nothing but an opinion, yours or someone else's.

[ProSense]

63. Not trying to convince you,

Would you vote against Hillary because she supports the Patriot Act?

Simply pointing out rank hypocrisy.

[Autumn]

64. No and I didn't vote against Obama,

I voted for him even though I didn't like his vote on FISA when he was a Senator. No rank hypocrisy here.

[ProSense]

65. "There is always another election."

Rank hypocrisy or idle implied threat.

[Autumn]

66. Not hypocrisy or threat, if the Democrats are republican light

I will not support them in the next election. That has gotten us no where.

[ProSense]

67. Now you're talking

in circles

[Autumn]

68. You are one to talk, such a phony

now I have things to do, you have fun pretzel twisting.

[ProSense]

69. You are the one who twisted yourself into a pretzel with faux outrage. n/t

[Autumn]

70. It isn't faux outrage , this last election has taught me

that if you have to hold your nose to vote for a Democrat, there is no reason to vote.

[ProSense]

71. You're still talking in circles:

Q: Would you vote against Hillary because she supports the Patriot Act?

You: No...

[Autumn]

72. " Talking in circles" ? LOL

You assume I "would run excitedly to the polls to vote for her" and you ASSume that, just because I keep my Hillary avatar. and personally I am not sure what Hillary has to do with it, I don't think she won the nomination. You need to get over that.

[tekisui]

52. Lipstick on a piece of shit.

[ZombieHorde]

74. I love politics more and more. This is awesome! nt