Feingold Correctly Predicted Patriot Act Abuse in 2001

[midnight]

Feingold added: “This is a truly breathtaking expansion of police power.”

It’s taken more than a decade, but Feingold’s worst fears were proved true when the extent of National Security Agency surveillance programs was revealed last week, thanks to whistle-blower Edward Snowden. Unfortunately, Feingold is no longer in the Senate, having lost in the 2010 midterm elections to tea party Republican Ron Johnson.

Here’s hoping that Feingold, a sorely missed progressive voice in the Senate, will find his way back to an elected position, perhaps even in 2016, when Johnson’s term is up.

Tech Dirt:

Since the beginning, he was the only Senator who consistently voted against the Patriot Act and various extensions and expansions. And, over the years since then he regularly warned us about secret interpretations of the law, including putting together a hearing more than five years ago on “Secret Law and the Threat to Democratic and Accountable Government.”

Not only did people fail to take him seriously back then, they voted him out of office in the 2010 “tea party” wave. Considering how many in the Tea Party are now among those most upset about the revelations of NSA surveillance, they might regret that decision… especially since the man they replaced him with, Senator Ron Johnson voted for both the FISA Sunsets Extension Act of 2011 and the FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2012 which extended the various provisions that we now know were secretly interpreted by the FISA Court to make these surveillance programs “legal.”

Feingold is now speaking out about the NSA surveillance, and it’s already leading some to suggest he run again for public office.

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http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/ex-sen_feingold_correctly_predicted_patriot_act_abuse_in_2001_video_201306/?ln

[aquart]

1. Tough call, that one.

[ButchT]

2. Dash doll

Not really a big thing-one of those bobbling dashboard dolls could have predicted the PATRIOT Act would lead to abuse.

[midnight]

3. Rightly so.... But it was crickets except for Feingold speaking out...

[pacalo]

4. The fact that Feingold stood alone while the other 98* senators voted for the Patriot Act

makes it a big deal. Feingold showed his inner strength & courage to stand up for what's right during that frenzied "you're either with us or against us" political atmosphere.

*Landrieu of LA did not vote

[midnight]

5. Big money bought his seat and gave it to a right to work Republican who socializes his

health care and labor costs to the prison system that is payed for by the tax payer....

[pacalo]

6. I don't think that election was on the up & up, either.

[midnight]

7. Me either... It has been breath taking to watch the ignorance and arrogance

being touted as business as usual..