Monday May 28, 2012

Obama signs one-year extension of Patriot Act

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  • 0

    RomeoRamenII

    So, Obama and the democrat-controlled congress continues to follow the lead set by President Bush.

  • 0

    Suzu1

    So much for the fierce, moral urgency....

  • 0

    SushiSake3

    RR, you must have missed the words 'court-approved' in the first 2 sections to be approved.

    I don't believe bush and co. bothered with that procedure.

  • 0

    HeyLars

    Follow the lead by Bush? What the hell? As if anybody advocated doing nothing! No, no. Obama is scaling this back to something more along the lines of what Democrats want. If anyone where following Bush's lead they would do more, not less. Some people don't seem to know what words mean and they tend to vote Republican.

  • 0

    Molenir

    Wheres the huge, moral outrage at this immense invasion of privacy. That was all we heard about, for years from you Dems, now here is your idol, and he extends the Patriot Act. Oh, the hypocrisy! So Fun to watch.

  • 0

    lostrune2

    Not all parts of Patriot Act are bad; it was just over-reaching. Court-approved is a good start - even if it's just rubber-stamped, at least there's a paper trail and a judicial aspect (one of the separation of powers).

    The Senate also approved the measure, with privacy protections cast aside when Senate Democrats lacked the necessary 60-vote supermajority to pass them. Thrown away were restrictions and greater scrutiny on the government’s authority to spy on Americans and seize their records.

  • 0

    sharky1

    Obama seems to be following Bush's leadership...He has to follow somebody since he has no leadership abilities...

  • 0

    Sarge

    Sushi, you must have missed this part:

    "Three sections of the Patriot Act that stay in force will:

    Authorize court-approved roving wiretaps...

    Allow court-approved seizure of records and property...

    This is a continuation of what started under the Bush administration.

    "I don't believe bush and co. bothered with that procedure"

    You mean you just can't bring yourself to believe that.

  • 0

    yabits

    The Senate also approved the measure, with privacy protections cast aside when Senate Democrats lacked the necessary 60-vote supermajority to pass them. Thrown away were restrictions and greater scrutiny on the government’s authority to spy on Americans and seize their records.

    Another successful Republican filibuster, which required a 60-vote supermajority to provide better protections against government abuse of their power to spy on Americans.

  • 0

    LIBERTAS

    (For the record, I actually LIKE the USA, just hate its zio-misguided policies. When that changes I'll even visit again.)

    Obama: Traitor to the Constitution and to the Oath of Office. The Patriot Act is the singularly most un-Patriotic piece of bad law ever signed.

  • 0

    pawatan

    As time goes on I see less and less difference between Obama and Bush. I really don't see that as a good thing, especially as Obama promised to approach government differently.

  • 0

    yabits

    As for the provisions subject to the one-year extension, there is nothing unconstitutional about court-ordered wiretaps and seizure of records -- properly adjudicated.

  • 0

    yabits

    Of course part of what makes it so amusing, is that this is the same kind of invective faced by Bush over the same issues.

    As viewed by delusional right-wingers, I have no doubt.

  • 0

    Molenir

    As viewed by delusional right-wingers, I have no doubt.

    Either you haven't been here very long, or you have a very short term memory. If you had any memory at all, you'd remember the ranting that so many left wingers did here. When the Patriot act was last reauthorized Bush was vilified. So here we have Obama and the Dems, who have the votes to repeal or amend the Patriot Act, and instead of repealing part or all of it, they reauthorize it.

    As I said, Libertas is at least consistent in his attitudes, many others who previously were vicious in their attacks on Bush, are now suddenly silent. I find the hypocrisy and the double standard very amusing.

  • 0

    USAFdude

    Once again, we see the right-wing slant of JT. Compare the headline:

    Obama signs one-year extension of Patriot Act [emphasis mine]

    with the first sentence of the article:

    President Barack Obama has signed a one-year extension of ****several provisions**** in the main U.S. counterterrorism law, the Patriot Act. [emphasis mine]

    JT's intentionally misleading headline makes it seem that the entire Patriot Act is being extended, when in fact, nothing is further from the truth.

    Just more pathetic political polarization from Japan Today.

  • 0

    yabits

    Either you haven't been here very long, or you have a very short term memory. If you had any memory at all, you'd remember the ranting that so many left wingers did here.

    I would never be stupid enough to confuse the rantings of loony left-wingers from principled, intelligent and articulate oppostion that characterizes true liberalism.

    I understand that there are many who are just as loony on the right-wing, who find it very convenient to lump all of the opposition together. That's true prejudice and bias at work.

  • 0

    yabits

    USAFdude:

    Excellent point, and one that I was hoping that someone would mention.

  • 0

    Molenir

    JT's intentionally misleading headline makes it seem that the entire Patriot Act is being extended, when in fact, nothing is further from the truth.

    Actually... Do a bit more research. Nothing is being removed. Nothing is being amended, an from my own reading, nothing is, because of this law, going to expire. Thus, Obama, and the Dems just reauthorized the Patriot act. The JT headline is actually correct. The article itself is misleading by only referring to the parts that would have expired had Obama not reauthorized them. The rest of the act is in fact, intact. Well, except for a few provisions that were fortunately declared unconstitutional.

    I would never be stupid enough to confuse the rantings of loony left-wingers from principled, intelligent and articulate oppostion that characterizes true liberalism.

    I must admit, I find very little intelligent, articulate, liberals. Given the response to this, the principled liberals seem even harder to find. Perhaps you could point one of these endangered species out to me, as nothing I read here seems to fall into these categories.

  • 0

    Molenir

    JT's intentionally misleading headline makes it seem that the entire Patriot Act is being extended, when in fact, nothing is further from the truth.

    Actually, I thought I should just point out one other thing. This is actually an AP story, not a JT story. It is misleading in how its written. As I said previously, the Patriot act is not going to expire. These 3 provisions would have expired, but the Dems and Obama just reauthorized them, as quietly as possible. Do a little research, you'll see I'm correct.

    So, someone who once campaigned on repealing the Patriot Act, has now continued it. With the lack of ranting on this from the left, we see they're really just a bunch of hypocrites. After all, if this was Bush signing this bill, they'd have been baying for blood, but because its their savior, well, it must be ok then.

  • 0

    yabits

    Given the response to this, the principled liberals seem even harder to find. Perhaps you could point one of these endangered species out to me, as nothing I read here seems to fall into these categories.

    I am not here to get between the hopelessly deluded and their delusions, nor the cravenly stupid from their stupidity

    but because its their savior...

    Nothing could have made my case better.

    In another thread, you already indicated that you have your own highly personal definitions for words like "moderate" and "liberal", so the effort spent attempting to reason with that kind of mentality is not likely to be worth anyone's time.

  • 0

    yabits

    The rest of the act is in fact, intact. Well, except for a few provisions that were fortunately declared unconstitutional.

    LOL!!!

  • 0

    yabits

    So, someone who once campaigned on repealing the Patriot Act, has now continued it. With the lack of ranting on this from the left, we see they're really just a bunch of hypocrites.

    The claim that Obama "campaigned on repealing the Patriot Act" is an outright and unsupportable falsehood. On such preposterously ignorant claims do the loony right-wingers build their strawmen.

    Senator Obama, in 2006, voted for a reauthorization of the Patriot Act that included changes to prevent abuse of authority by law enforcement. (Changes which countered provisions that were found unconstitutional.) His stance as a candidate and as president has not wavered. Obama has consistently supported a Patriot Act that would strengthen civil liberties without giving up the tools that law enforcement needs in the fight against terrorist conspiracy.

  • 0

    SushiSake3

    Looks like Molenir's argument just went down in flames like the Hindenburg.

  • 0

    Sarge

    In 2003 Obama said he was against the Patriot Act, but in 2006 he voted for it. What a flip-flopper, heh heh.

  • 0

    SushiSake3

    Heh, Sarge, you obviously cling to the delusional notion that politicians should always hold the same views, like forever.

    Your buddy bush tried that and it got us 2 wars and a global recession.

    But don't forget - you supported him all the way. :-)

  • 0

    yabits

    In 2003 Obama said he was against the Patriot Act, but in 2006 he voted for it.

    Unlike your average Republican, being consistently wrong -- and holding to it.

  • 0

    RomeoRamenII

    Mr. Bush's policies continue to keep us safe.

  • 0

    Molenir

    The claim that Obama "campaigned on repealing the Patriot Act" is an outright and unsupportable falsehood. On such preposterously ignorant claims do the loony right-wingers build their strawmen.

    What was it you said... Ah yes. I am not here to get between the hopelessly deluded and their delusions, nor the cravenly stupid (and) their stupidity.

    You were referring to yourself then yes? As I and Sarge pointed out, Obama campaigned on the Patriot act in his Senatorial campaign. He then voted to reauthorize it in 2005. Now to be fair, a lot of the more objectionable things had been stripped out, or allowed to expire. Whats left of it, is a pale shadow next to what it was originally. Still, its amusing, that the most vicious attacks in this thread are not against Obama for reauthorizing this, but against those who point out the obvious hypocrisy and double standard. I said it before, if this was Bush these same people would be baying for blood.

    Unlike your average Republican, being consistently wrong -- and holding to it.

    Heh, thats a nice way to admit he's a flip-flopper. I know, you can't call your savior a flip-flopper. Its against your nature to be in any way impartial. Your attitude seems to be, that Republicans are Evil, Democrats are good. Anyone who is a democrat, must by their very nature, be good. Unless they break from the party line, then they must be destroyed. You fall right into line with most Dems, so don't feel bad about this. Its just what you, and most of your leftist friends are.

  • 0

    Odogma

    Good Work. Old Dick Cheney talked, President Obama listened.

  • 0

    SuperLib

    Has Obama made any changes to the Patriot Act as it was written when he took office? I really don't know the answer to that question. Maybe someone here will.

  • 0

    Molenir

    Has Obama made any changes to the Patriot Act as it was written when he took office? I really don't know the answer to that question. Maybe someone here will.

    The answer is no. He has made no changes since he took office. Only thing he has done, has been to quietly reauthorize this. The silence on the left is deafening.

  • 0

    yabits

    Now to be fair, a lot of the more objectionable things had been stripped out, or allowed to expire.

    So Obama's position -- that is it possible to have a Patriot Act that balances giving investigators the right tools and preserves civil rights -- has been consistent from the beginning.

    I don't understand why right-wingers think that Obama's stance against the Act, at a time when the Act contained lots of nasty illegal and unconstitutional things, should be something worthy of criticism. It's more a clear example of Obama's foresight and constitutional grounding. Most senators reach a compromise with a bill where they essentially say, "Strip that part out, and I can support it; Leave it in, and I can't."

    Even many of the founding fathers would not accept the constitution as it was without the safeguards of the Bill of Rights amended to it.

    Likewise, over time, changes were made to the Patriot Act so that it met Obama's conditions for support. This is the essential dishonesty and disingenuousness of so many conservatives: They want to pretend that Patriot Act c.2003 is the same legislation as Patriot Act-2010 -- and by making that leap somehow try to convince the mentally challenged that President Obama has flip-flopped. Most amazingly, they want to pretend the Act has not changed substantially over time even while admitting that it has!!

  • 0

    yabits

    The silence on the left is deafening.

    In my opinion, it must be that many are rendered in speechless wonder by the demonstration by right-wingers of how little they understand about anything.

  • 0

    Molenir

    In my opinion, it must be that many are rendered in speechless wonder by the demonstration by right-wingers of how little they understand about anything.

    Way to spin Yabits, Way to spin! If Obama tells a blatant lie, you are the type to find an excuse. Conveniently set aside the certain knowledge, that if Obama had an R by his name, you'd be one of those leading the charge against him. The hypocrisy shown by the left here is simply overwhelming.

  • 0

    yabits

    Conveniently set aside the certain knowledge, that if Obama had an R by his name, you'd be one of those leading the charge against him.

    Certainly not against President Obama's signing a one-year extension of a bill he voted for in 2006. That dog just won't hunt.

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