Dems, Tea Party reject Patriot Act renewel

[HalfLotus]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/02/p...s-house-floor/

A plan that would have seen the House of Representatives extend controversial provisions of the PATRIOTAct with little debate failed Tuesday night, as a group of Republicans joined a majority of Democrats in voting no.

The House voted 277 to 148 for the PATRIOT Act extension -- 23 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass it under a procedure that allows bills that aren't controversial to pass quickly.

Repubs tried to ram it through, Tea Party and Dems said no. A victory for liberty.

Probly will pass Thursday though. Sadly, Super Bowl commercials are more important to Americans than basic personal liberties, so the public interest has been nil on this issue.

[Agent Sox]

I saw this earlier. It's all political theater to me. See because the government is going to spy on people whether there's some law about it or not.

[Berzerker]

yup, some executive order - the same one Bush ok'd before the Patriot Act

[giblets]

This means that if Obama were willing to veto it, it probably wouldn't pass.
But the last time it was up for renewal, he voted for it.

[Solarius Scorch]

I don't live in the US, but Obama's policy is getting me totally confused. Is there anything this guy did in accordance with his own views (assuming he is a Democrat)? Because he looks like the other thing he does is being very careful of not upsetting anyone in power.
This aside, I generally agree that discontinuing the Patriot Act alone probably won't make much of a difference...

[Berzerker]

you mean, is he Bush-lite?

Yup, but he did campaign on intensifying the Afghan conflict while downplaying the alleged importance of Iraq. But Gitmo, Patriot Act, etc is still a go. But I understand why he and Bush support stuff like that, if we got hit again they'd take the blame AND have the carnage on their conscience.

and welcome

[Agent Sox]

There are probably other reasons. The government isn't stupid. They know spying on your own citizens looks bad and doesn't work. So there's probably something else they're looking for.

[HalfLotus]

Bush didn't take any blame for 9/11 despite ample evidence that an attack was imminent.

On the contrary, he became an overnight hero with astronomical approval ratings after just a couple of ultra-nationalistic speeches.

edit: Obama's catastrophe will come, all modern presidents get one. And rather than suffer from it, he'll gain significantly in approval, and ram through a boatloat of statist legislation.

[Agent Sox]

Don't tell me you're one of those guys that thinks Bush was an evil genius. That's Cheney, haha. But no, seriously, 9/11 is another one of those things where you're really wondering what our government was thinking.

[giblets]

Bush didn't take any blame for 9/11 despite ample evidence that an attack was imminent.

On the contrary, he became an overnight hero with astronomical approval ratings after just a couple of ultra-nationalistic speeches.

[Hauldren Collider]

Wait, gribbler, are you blaming Bush for 9/11?

As for the speeches, where were you when Clinton gave his speech after Oklahoma City? If Clinton can give that kind of speech after Tim McVeigh went postal, I think Bush can make such a speech after terrorists attack the Pentagon and blow up the twin towers.

Why do I even have to justify this? This is pathetic.

[Berzerker]

Bush didn't take any blame for 9/11 despite ample evidence that an attack was imminent.

On the contrary, he became an overnight hero with astronomical approval ratings after just a couple of ultra-nationalistic speeches.

edit: Obama's catastrophe will come, all modern presidents get one. And rather than suffer from it, he'll gain significantly in approval, and ram through a boatloat of statist legislation.

yeah, but if I was Bush I'd be blaming myself for 9/11... They did do a good job of acting like nobody could have seen it coming, they lied thru their teeth about that too.

Like Condie's testimony, "I believe that report was called OBL intent on attacking within the USA". Jesus, I was watching a docu on Link TV about a journalist who tracked down a bunch of the warning signs of an imminent attack and the evidence was both amazing and sad - we had all sorts of reports, from our own people and from overseas in the month or 3 before the attacks. And specifics, hijacking planes to use as flying bombs, etc. And these clowns were telling us no one saw anything like that coming down the road.

[giblets]

Wait, gribbler, are you blaming Bush for 9/11?

Bush ignored warnings that Bin Laden was going to attack because he's a moron.

[Dinner]

This is an excellent opportunity for some real bipartisanship for the good of the country.

[Hauldren Collider]

yeah, but if I was Bush I'd be blaming myself for 9/11... They did do a good job of acting like nobody could have seen it coming, they lied thru their teeth about that too.

Like Condie's testimony, "I believe that report was called OBL intent on attacking within the USA". Jesus, I was watching a docu on Link TV about a journalist who tracked down a bunch of the warning signs of an imminent attack and the evidence was both amazing and sad - we had all sorts of reports, from our own people and from overseas in the month or 3 before the attacks. And specifics, hijacking planes to use as flying bombs, etc. And these clowns were telling us no one saw anything like that coming down the road.

Berzerker, you're the guy who was shocked by WTC 7 footage, right? Take your damn tinfoil hat off, you revisionist.