Damn!!! Senators Vote to Renew Patriot Act Spy Powers

[KansasVoter]

Can some defender explain why when Bush did this we hated it but now we tolerate it?????? It still needs a full vote but this is bullshit!

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/10/pariot-act-renewal/

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A deeply divided Senate committee on Thursday forwarded legislation to the full Senate that reauthorizes three expiring provisions of the Patriot Act hastily adopted in the wake of the 2001 terror attacks.

The measures greatly expanded the government’s ability to spy on Americans in the name of national security.

Thursday’s 11-8 vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee came as lawmakers struggled to beat a looming deadline. The three provisions expire at year’s end, unless renewed.

During more than two hours of sometimes-heated debate in the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, some lawmakers accused one another of caving to intelligence officials who wanted to expand their powers, while other senators said the renewal was necessary to protect against looming — and classified — terror threats.

But when the hearing was over, the committee approved renewing measures that include allowing broad warrants to be issued by a secretive court for any type of record, from financial to medical, without the government having to declare that the information sought is connected to a terrorism or espionage investigation. A proposal that would put limits on such requests was defeated.

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[Dinger]

1. What Can I Say?

SSDD

[IndianaGreen]

2. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely

Lord Acton's warning was not heeded by our chicken shit Congress, which if you recalled, also okayed warrantless searches and gave immunity to the telecoms.

[KansasVoter]

3. So true. I am so disappointed Obama wants this renewed!

[vaberella]

5. How is this Obama? The Senate is doing this. Division of power people.

Nothing states that if such a measure passes it's going to even be signed.

[phleshdef]

4. Bush wiretapping was never the problem, it was the lack of oversight and stepping around warrants..

...that was the problem.