PATRIOT Act renewal fails in the House thanks to Tea Partiers who didn't vote with GOP.

[LLStarks]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2011/02/ahead-of-patriot-act-vote-some.html
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/02/patriot-act-notextended/

Wow.

[ixion]

1. Good. It shouldn't be renewed.

Shame on the dems who supported it.

[Lorien]

14. +1. Whatever it takes to get rid of that constitution shredding neocon outrage. nt

[Iggo]

2. If the Tea Party is saving us from The Patriot Act...

...we are truly fucked.

[LLStarks]

3. Sometimes personal freedom and scope of government actually means something to them. nt

[wryter2000]

4. No kidding

Sad when we have to depend on those bozos to get the right thing done.

[Blasphemer]

18. I prefer to view it another way

The influence of the tea party on such issues tells me that the death of the two-party system would do wonders for the governance of this country (something I have always felt would be true). I have no problem with important issues being decided based on a coalition of parties that don't see eye-to-eye on most issues but can come together for specific ones.

[LLStarks]

20. This. This is what I've been waiting for in Congress. A foil to the remnants of the Blue Dogs. nt

[liberal N proud]

5. So they are against us

from the 2001 - 2003 your with us or against us cry from the right.

[Ozymanithrax]

6. The enemy of my enemy is not my friend...

but I appreciate the vote anyway.

Twenty-six Republicans voted with 122 Democrats to oppose the measure, while 67 Democrats voted with 210 Republicans to back it. Ten members did not vote.

[quinnox]

7. Interesting

"The three expiring Patriot Act provisions are:

*The “roving wiretap” provision allows the FBI to obtain wiretaps from a secret intelligence court, known as the FISA court, without identifying the target or what method of communication is to be tapped.

*The “lone wolf” measure allows FISA court warrants for the electronic monitoring of a person for whatever reason — even without showing that the suspect is an agent of a foreign power or a terrorist. The government has said it has never invoked that provision, but the Obama administration said it wanted to retain the authority to do so.

*The “business records” provision allows FISA court warrants for any type of record, from banking to library to medical, without the government having to declare that the information sought is connected to a terrorism or espionage investigation."

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Of those three, I can see an argument for the roving wiretap provision.

The lone wolf scenario seems way overreaching. They should have to have some kind of evidence to get special monitoring in my opinion.

The business records provision is total garbage, and should be rejected in any form.

[muntrv]

8. Apparently, many tea partiers are for freedom.

[cali]

12. 26 republicans? hardly many.

[robertpaulsen]

9. Give full credit to Dennis Kucinich for calling them out!

Kucinich challenges tea party to stand up for civil liberties

WASHINGTON – The House is set to take up a measure this week renewing key provisions of the PATRIOT Act that expire Feb. 28.

Liberal Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) issued a challenge to tea party supporters and lawmakers in the new Congress: time to show you're serious about liberty.

"The 112th Congress began with a historic reading of the U.S. Constitution," Kucinich said in a statement. "Will anyone subscribe to the First and Fourth Amendments tomorrow when the PATRIOT Act is up for a vote? I am hopeful that members of the Tea Party who came to Congress to defend the Constitution will join me in challenging the reauthorization."

Republicans won back control of the House by a large margin in November, thriving on the energy of the tea party movement, which fretted that Democrats were undermining freedom in the United States. Republican lawmakers across the country frequently proffer their commitment to the tea party's self-styled ideals of liberty and freedom.

"Will tea party members defend the Constitution or capitulate on PATRIOT Act extension?" Kucinich's statement added.

more...

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/02/kucinich-challenges-tea-party-stand-civil-liberties/

[pacalo]

10. Excellent. They get props where it's due & I appreciate their help.

/edited to add: Kucinich is THE man!

:thumbsup:

[annabanana]

17. Ain't THAT a hoot!?

Strange bedfellows indeed!

[thereismore]

11. Way to go Kooch, hold the teepees by the balls! nt

[jberryhill]

13. Well, of course... They want an armed rebellion against the government anyway

...so they have discovered civil liberties. For today.

[Arkana]

15. Whoa. Really?

Tea Partiers did something good?

Oh well, stopped clock, blind squirrel, etc.

[walldude]

16. So we'll see what happens now.

This is not the time for Obama to pull out a veto pen.

[krabigirl]

19. My Republican rep actually voted Nay on this. I am in shock. He has been there a long time too.

not a tea partier.

[slipslidingaway]

21. knr nt

[applegrove]

22. They really have escaped from the GOP. LOL!

[MadHound]

23. Good, nice to see some sense coming out of those folks, for once.

Actually twice now, most were against bailing out the banksters as well.

[Brickbat]

24. Not much of a surprise.