Democrats retreat from Patriot Act privacy protections because "some Republican senators objected" !

[Better Believe It]

Senate votes to extend Patriot Act
Democrats retreat from adding new privacy protections to the law
Associated Press
February 24, 2010

WASHINGTON - The Senate voted Wednesday to extend for a year key provisions of the nation's counterterrorism surveillance law that are scheduled to expire at the end of the month.

In agreeing to pass the bill, Senate Democrats retreated from adding new privacy protections to the USA Patriot Act.

The Senate approved the bill on a voice vote with no debate. It now goes to the House.

Supporters say extending the law enables authorities to keep important tools in the fight against terrorism. It would also give Democrats some cover from Republican criticism that the Obama administration is soft on terrorism.

Some Democrats, however, had to forfeit new privacy protections they had sought for the law.

The Judiciary Committee bill would have restricted FBI information demands known as national security letters and made it easier to challenge gag orders imposed on Americans whose records are seized. Library records would have received extra protections. Congress would have closely scrutinized FBI use of the law to prevent abuses. Dissemination of surveillance results would have been restricted and after a time, unneeded records would have been destroyed.

"I would have preferred to add oversight and judicial review improvements to any extension of expiring provisions in the USA Patriot Act," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "But I understand some Republican senators objected."

Read the full article at:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35571223/ns/politics-capitol_hill/

No debate.

No roll call vote.

But rolling over before some Republican objections is acceptable.

Disgusting behavior.

Couldn't just one Democratic Senator have demanded a roll call vote and got it?

[tekisui]

1. They are powerless. Through weakness or compliance.

I really don't care which it is. The outcome is the came.

[tom_paine]

5. That's about the long and short of it.

And no, it no longer matters WHY.

They are the spitting image of the 1933 German Social Democrats. Lucky they face a "kinder and gentler" BushoNazi bunch. For now, anyway.

[MadHound]

2. And why should I support any of these clowns?

War, civil rights, the economy, HCR, education, climate change, the list of what they haven't changed is stunning.

[Better Believe It]

3. Civil Liberties anyone?

[RainDog]

4. democrats: a kinder, gentler police state n/t

[katandmoon]

6. Fucking chickenshits. Still scared shitless of Dick Cheney.

[pansypoo53219]

7. GOD DAMMIT. stop being PUSSIES democrats.

just because the whiney assed tittie babies complain, doesn't mean you back down. PUSH HARDER.

[Better Believe It]

9. Perhaps not being actual supporters of our Constitution and Bill of Rights has more to do with their

surrender to right-wing Republicans.

Can anyone explain why not a single Senate Democrat called for a roll call vote on this legislation?

[Echo In Light]

11. Institutional collusion - not cowardice. The 'coward' justification doesn't hold up.

[snot]

8. But it DOES matter why. Because

while it may be time to give up on institutional Dems, it is HIGH TIME to figure out what it will take to replace them with something better.

I fear it won't be enough to just try to replace all the incumbents; so long as the system remains in place, I fear it will corrupt whomever we put in incumbents' place.

We have to figure out the aspects of the system that aren't working. Even if it's too late to help the U.S., maybe other countries can learn from our mistakes.

Obviously, we think we have some clues. But let's face it, if we had all the answers, things wouldn't have gotten so bad so fast.

So let's not let this slide off the table with the usual slew of jaded comments that add nothing.

Let's investigate, document, analyze, and act.

[Better Believe It]

10. House Passes Patriot Act Extension. Senate approves without taking a roll call vote.

At least they voted in the House. The Senate failed to even take a roll call vote and not a single Democratic Senator requested a roll call vote! Disgusting, to say the least.


US Congress Extends Patriot Act without Privacy Improvements
February 26, 2010

WASHINGTON - US lawmakers voted to extend key parts of the Patriot Act law enacted after the September 11th attacks without adding privacy safeguards sought by the White House's Democratic allies.

The US House of Representatives, following the Senate, voted 315-97 to renew the counter-terrorism tools, sending the legislation to President Barack Obama to sign into law.

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/02/26