Obama seeks extension of anti-terrorism spy powers

[Joanne98]

Source: AFP

WASHINGTON — Wading into a congressional battle, the White House urged lawmakers Tuesday to extend through 2013 key provisions of a controversial surveillance law designed to help thwart terrorist plots.

At issue were three core measures in the Patriot Act adopted in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks to fill what the government complained were gaps in its abilities to track and catch extremists.

The provisions, which expire at month's end, allow authorities to use roving wiretaps to track an individual on several telephones; track a non-US national suspected of being "lone-wolf" terrorist not tied to an extremist group; and to seize personal or business records seen as critical to an investigation.

The White House said in a statement that it "strongly supports extension of three critical authorities that our nation's intelligence and law enforcement agencies need to protect our national security."



Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gzb_1auKzJBzTd24EXHINSyEcZ8g?docId=CNG.ca75d68733ba56c6dff1582ac6bf480a.621

[Hoopla Phil]

1. More "change" I guess.

It is WAY past time for this to go away!

[midnight]

2. I'm not sure who this chess game is being played for anymore....

[tularetom]

3. Give it up Mr President you aren't making any points with the people who hate you

All you're doing is pissing off the people who are undecided (and more than a few of your supporters).

[DJ13]

4. Chains we can believe in

:eyes:

[Ken Burch]

7. Good one!

somebody needs to make a button with that line!

[No Elephants]

29. Some DUer (wish I could remember who) once posted "Change we can bereave in."

[WatsonT]

21. Clever

[Raksha]

25. Too true!

[golddigger]

5. Still on a collusion course to be a one termer.

[KoKo]

8. Not really...Repugs eat this stuff up and so do the Independents and NeoLibs..

Obama will win because there won't be anyone else to vote for.

[golddigger]

9. Really, this Independent , my family and friends

don't eat this shit up at all and they all voted for Obama.

[KoKo]

24. But, Given the Alternatives Lining up on Repug Side...won't they vote for Obama?

Who else COULD THEY vote for? :shrug: The alternatives are so dreadful.

[golddigger]

26. They are getting to the point of not voting.

What I'm getting from them is why vote, nothing changes.

[rhett o rick]

6. Is there any doubt that the Ruling Class likes the Patriot Act. There goes the Constitution. nm

[OwnedByFerrets]

12. Sorry, but the Constitution was gone long ago....only a nuclear shadow remains

[rhett o rick]

17. Letting the Patriot Act die would bring some back. nm

[blackspade]

10. Lame.

The powers and processes needed to criminally prosecute terrorists were in place before 9/11. They were just not used effectively.
This is a continuation of the GWB police state powers. By doing this Obama takes ownership of the erosion of our constitutional rights.

[ixion]

16. yep, unquestionably he does...

and yet there are those that expect us to support these BUSH policies simply because it's a different team.

[Solly Mack]

11. k/r

[DeSwiss]

13. So it turns out that the only thing.....

...that is truly http://www.huffingtonpost.com/earl-ofari-hutchinson/did-obama-break-his-campa_b_288112.html">"shoddy and dangerous" are the President's campaign promises.

- K&R

[Bragi]

14. Surely we need a more perfect Patriot Act , Mr. President

For example, there is still no law to "detain" a foreign national for posting documents received from US whistleblowers on websites.

Also, U.S authorities still have to contract out torture to other countries.

Those are just two legal gaps that you'd think President Obama would want to cover in his renewed Patriot Act. I'm sure there must be others.

[ixion]

15. Obama just get can't enough of those Bush-era thug policies...

some 'change'. :eyes:

[Volaris]

18. No, Mr. President,

thats NOT what you got put there to do....

[whosinpower]

19. Into the era of cutting costs, reducing pensions, eroding social security, etc

One HAS to ask.....the fundamental question - "What does all this cost?"

Because the reality is that more people are killed every year in the United States by drunk drivers than by terrorist attack.

[lsewpershad]

20. Approved if

YOU can convince a real impartial judge you have probable cause.

[MasonJar]

22. Just one more proof he isn't who he said he was during the campaign.

[PoliticAverse]

23. Obama apparently wants a longer extesion than republicans do.

"The Obama administration said Tuesday it wants a three-year extension of Patriot Act surveillance authorities, far longer than the timeline proposed by House Republicans."

From: http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/142733-white-house-wants-longer-extension-of-patriot-act-than-house-republicans

[lib2DaBone]

27. Even the Republicans know the Patriot Act is being abused by the FBI...

So what does Mr. Obama do? He wants more of it....

[Rosa Luxemburg]

28. surveillance of old ladies in knitting clubs is not going to solve terrorism

how many other developed countries have this? I can imagine junta have it.