Bush Campaigns Hard For Patriot Act .... John Kerry Loses His Tongue

[Solidarity]

For several days now, George Bush has been campaigning hard in defense of the Patriot Act. It seems that Bush thinks this is one of his strongest points in the election campaign and one of John Kerry's weakest. Kerry voted for the act.

And what has John Kerry's response been to Bush's propanganda 3 day offensive in support of this police state law? It appears Kerry has decided to button his lip on such trivial matters. After all, defending our Bill of Rights and opposing police state measures are not a "winning" campaign issues.

But don't worry.

John Kerry did say way back on December 1st: "I voted for the Patriot Act right after September 11th – convinced that – with a sunset clause – it was the right decision to make. It clearly wasn’t a perfect bill – and it had a number of flaws – but this wasn’t the time to haggle. It was the time to act."

It wansn't perfect? I guess it just needs to be tinkered with a bit ... thereby making it a perfect political police bill. Sure. That's what we really need. A new and improved "Perfect Patriot Act II"!

So don't worry. There is hope. Perhaps a President Kerry will eliminate a few bad parts of the Act and keep all of the really, really good parts of the Bush governments Patriot Act.

Any chance John Kerry will reveal the exact language of the new and improved Patriot Act II bill he will propose to Congress before the November election?

What do you think?

[Old and In the Way]

1. I think I trust Kerry to do the right thing.

I'll let him tack to the center through the entire campaign....just like Dimson did in 2000. Hopefully, we'll get a new Democratic Congressional majority along with Kerry....then watch the fun begin.

[DebJ]

4. democracy and trust don't fit together. Democracy, watchfulness activity

and speaking out work. Too many 'trusted' Bush. It's not about trust.
Gotta speak out and demand. Our Founding Fathers trusted nobody, not even each other. They tried to develop a system of checks and balances because they had NO trust at all in anyone.

Sorry. Had to vent.

[sangh0]

7. Actually, democracy doesn't work without trust

Trust in the electoral process. Trust in the economy. Trust in contracts.

Without these, democracy fails. No one has the time to verify everything. Some level of trust is required.

[Solidarity]

10. Trust?

Did you "trust" the electoral process in 2000 when the election was stolen and the Supreme Court appointed George Bush President?

[Selwynn]

11. Are you out of your mind?

"Trust the electoral process."

Yeah, it worked well in 2000.

It is not completely corrupted by money.

Dibold and electronic voting don't matter.

"Trust in the economy."

Umm..the economy sucks.

"Trust in contracts"

Right... because they've been HONORED by the government so many times!

[Old and In the Way]

28. Absolutely correct Sangh0

Of course, Republicans have done their damndest to break the public's trust in government....and it seems to be working quite well here.

But I trust Kerry implicitly...I guess it comes from following him for 30+ years.

[w13rd0]

8. I don't necessarily trust Kerry to do the right thing...

...and I'll STILL vote for him. The manipulation efforts are lame and obvious, and it's REALLY pissing me off. But then again, I'm used to be pissed off at the way things are occurring in this nation.

[Langis]

2. I trust Kerry

"I voted for the Patriot Act right after September 11th – convinced that – with a sunset clause – it was the right decision to make."

[DebJ]

6. The entire Patriot Act IS NOT SUBJECT TO SUNSET CLAUSE. Some of

the worst violations of freedoms are not sunsetted, they are permanently effective. Or should I say, permanently destructive.
This 'sunset clause' line is a red herring promoted to shut up debate.

[Selwynn]

12. That is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

The Patriot Act Needs repealed - period. No excuses. I don't forgive Kerry for voting for the war, and I don't forgive Kerry for voting for the fucking patriot act, one of the most anti American bills to ever become law.

But I'll vote for him anyway.

[DUreader]

19. Link?

What sets and what doesn't set?

[Langis]

20. Do you have a source for this information?

[whistle]

3. Well, what is the timetable for extending the Patriot Act???

...Will it be voted on by this congress soon? What can be done to stop the move when rethugs control the congress? I say let the vote go on, if it gets extended then Kerry can repeal it after he takes office in January 2005. After all, doesn't it give the president greater power too?

[Solidarity]

9. Kerry Should Put His Cards On The Table

John Kerry can and should put his cards on the table now. Having faith and trust in someone who voted for the Act, as it exists, isn't good enough for me and many others.

Nothing is preventing John Kerry from revealing the exact language of any bill he would propose to Congress to "reform" the Patriot Act. He can do that. Or he can remain vague and/or silent on exactly what he will do if elected President.

It's his decision.

[drfemoe]

15. Best Site for Info and What You Can Do .. has state info too ..

http://www.bordc.org

Information and What You Can Do:
Bill of Rights and the Constitution:
Read the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution.

Download, print, and distribute bookmarks with the Bill of Rights printed on them. English (PDF) Spanish (PDF)

New!
New York City Council honors New York City Bill of Rights Defense Campaign with a proclamation for its "outstanding service to the city, state and nation."

Read this summary of the soon-to-be-introduced Civil Liberties Restoration Act (CLRA) and consider having your group support it.

Join rallies at the Supreme Court on April 20 (Guantanamo Bay Prison case) and April 28 (cases of U.S. citizen "enemy combatants" Yasser Esam Hamdi and Jose Padilla. To sign on to the call for the rally, contact [e-mail].

Build bridges with threatened communities, especially Arab and Muslim people near you. Read about how the Bill of Rights Defense Committee-Tacoma (WA) is working to halt the introduction of a private detention center for immigrants in deportation proceedings.

Attorney General John Ashcroft wins Index on Censorship Freedom of Expressions Award for Censor of the Year

Impact of Patriot Act and other anti-terrorism regulations:

USA PATRIOT Act and Executive Orders curb rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution. Associated Press's brief Overview of Changes to Legal Rights and BORDC's A Guide to the USA PATRIOT Act and Federal Executive Orders (Requires PDF).

Summary of the Homeland Security Act, The Homeland Security Act: The Decline of Privacy; the Rise of Government Secrecy (Requires PDF).

Order the Homeland Security Act summary or the USA PATRIOT Act Guide from BORDC as booklets.

More about civil liberties issues, including responses to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Read the arguments of those who defend the USA PATRIOT Act, including the Department of Justice.

Read the responses from various organizations and individuals to the Justice Department's defense of Patriot Act.

What you can do:

Stay informed through our links to articles, useful websites, and our free monthly e-mail newsletter.

Engage the candidates. Take advantage of the election year and find out where the candidates stand on the issues.

{ http://www.readerprivacy.com } is circulating this petition (PDF) urging congressional representatives to amend Section 215 of the Patriot Act to restore privacy of library and bookstore records. Sign it online. Also see BORDC's Freedom to Read page.

Legislation:

CLEAR Act targets immigrant communities; other legislation aims to expand Patriot Act.

New bills would roll back parts of Patriot Act and protect rights and liberties.

Threatened Communities:

Ways you can help the people most threatened by repressive policies and laws.

Is there a detention center near you?

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
- Benjamin Franklin, 1759
***
Cities that have passed Civil Liberties Safe Zone resolution or ordinance http://www.bordc.org/OtherLocalEfforts.htm

***
WE the People have to take responsibility for this. Please don't make excuses and unhook by blaming politicians.
WE are the GOVERNMENT!!

[rocktivity]

5. If he supports it, he's Bush Lite. If not, he's "politicizing the issue"

just to get votes. And either way, the mainstream media rips him to shreds. Right now, they're desparate for an opportunity to help out Bush by giving a weapon of mass distraction. That's why they've exhumed the guy who used to debate Kerry when he was complaining about Viet Nam actrocities. Stay the course and hold your tongue, Kerry!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Solidarity]

13. Hold His Tongue?

So do you think that Kerry should hold his tongue on every important issue in this election campaign for fear of what the corporate media and right-wing will say?

Maybe he can duplicate Albert Gore's campaign strategy. That was a real winner.

Has John Kerry said what he will do with the Freedom of Information Act(FOIA)? The Bush government change FOIA rules which enabled government to withhold vast amount of information from the public.

Will John Kerry change those rules or retain the Bush governments rules severely restricting the publics right to know?

I suppose some here think Kerry should also hold his tongue on this matter since government secrecy is of no importance to people. And the Bush government might actually attack Kerry should he speak out in support of the peoples right to know! Can't have that.

Trust Kerry. He'll do the right thing.

[rocktivity]

18. Of course he shouldn't hold his tongue on EVERYTHING--

just on the things that serves Bush's purposes, not his own. For instance, he's suggested that there be an investigation into Bush diverting Afghan war funds to Iraq.

The point is, it's working. Bush has spent $49 mil on his campaign and has virtually nothing to show for it!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Kat45]

14. "a weapon of mass distraction" - Great wording!

I was thinking about that today when I watched a news story about Kerry releasing his service records, which they even called an 'issue' that voters really don't care about. That's exactly what the conservative bushies and media are doing: manufacturing who-cares issues to distract the public and keep Kerry on the defensive so he won't have time to get to the real issues, his ideas, and bush's mishandling of everything.

"Weapon of mass distraction" -- I'll have to remember that one, because I think we're in for a long season of them.

[rocktivity]

16. Just for the record, I first heard the term "weapon of mass distraction"

from Al Shartpton.

:headbang:
rocknation

[shockingelk]

17. The PATRIOT act is not all bad!

For instance, the roving wiretaps. Reno asked fort this after the OK City bombing, but congress wouldn't give it to her - such a thing is necessary when people can buy disposable cellphones.

Some stuff should stay, other stuff should go. Screaming "Repeal the PATRIOT Act totally!" sounds like something an ignorant anti-government militia member would say ... I wish I didn't hear the same from my friends on the left!

[opihimoimoi]

21. A proven LEADER, I trust Kerry a whole lot more than Bush

Bush decisions have resulted in too many blunders. Then he scams us with distortions and distractions. He is the Pits, sorry to real pits.

[Solidarity]

22. No Need For Patriot Act

The 9/11 terrorists could have been stopped without a Patriot Act. The Bush government simply failed to perform their job with the tools they had.

Do you think John Kerry should put his cards on the table and tell us EXACTLY what parts of the Patriot Act he will retain and which parts he will eliminate?

[sandnsea]

He already did

He submitted legislation to repeal portions of it last fall. But it won't satisfy you naysayers anyway. You've got your agenda and you're sticking to it, no matter what the consequences of 4 more years of Bush means to the entire world. Right wingers don't know any better, you do. I think that makes you worse.

[Ardee]

27. the problem with thinking with your gonads

instead of your brain is that you alienate those who you should be reasoning with........or you just force people to disrespect and ignore your opinion...Imagine people actually wanting a candidate to campaign on the issues that are important to them and the nation, how unrealistic of them.

By the way, welcome Solidarity, you are a nice addition to this place....(IMO).......

[DUreader]

24. W* came in and scrapped everything, left and right, REPEAL THIS INSANITY

No treaty left unscorched has been the bush* model.

Undo anything these mad dogs had a hand in.

[Zorra]

23. John Kerry In His Own Words On The Patriot Act

An America that creates a secret police power which can by its secret discretion invade the privacy of Americans and intimidate them is a far cry from what our Founders envisioned and from what we have fought to protect for 228 years.

A country where you are visited by the authorities for thinking or voicing an unpopular idea smacks more of the Taliban than Thomas Jefferson. Trading in our basic rights for the false facade of security is not worth it – and it is not worthy of a great nation such as America.

We are a nation of laws and liberties, not of a knock in the night. So it is time to end the era of John Ashcroft.

That starts with replacing the Patriot Act with a new law that protects our people and our liberties at the same time. I’ve been a District Attorney and I know that what law enforcement needs are real tools not restrictions on American’s basic rights.

Much of what is in Patriot Act are good ideas. The Act increased penalties for terrorists, limited the statute of limitations for terrorist crimes, and allowed for greater prosecution of overseas acts against America. I fought to include important money laundering restrictions to clamp down on the cash flowing to terrorist enterprises. I had been pushing for these ideas since the late nineties – and after September 11th they were more important than ever.

I voted for the Patriot Act right after September 11th – convinced that – with a sunset clause – it was the right decision to make. It clearly wasn’t a perfect bill – and it had a number of flaws – but this wasn’t the time to haggle. It was the time to act.

But George Bush and John Ashcroft abused the spirit of national action after the terrorist attacks. They have used the Patriot Act in ways that were never intended and for reasons that have nothing to do with terrorism. That’s why, as President, I will propose new anti-terrorism laws that advance the War on Terror while ending the assault on our basic rights.

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/speeches/spc_2003_1201.html

[bigtree]

25. And this:

Kerry wants to improve the Patriot Act: Kerry has a plan to improve the Patriot Act’s ability to prevent terrorism and curb its assault on civil liberties:

KEEP PROVISIONS THAT HELP THE WAR ON TERRORISM. The Patriot Act gave law enforcement some important new tools after 9/11, including: increasing penalties for terrorism, adding new federal crimes on terrorism, limiting statue of limitations for investigating terrorist crime, and permits prosecution of Federal crimes committed overseas. John Kerry believes we must keep these types of provisions.

ENHANCE EFFORTS TO END MONEY-LAUNDERING. John Kerry has been a leader in efforts to combat money-laundering and ensure it is not a tool available to terrorists. Kerry will build on his efforts and the money-laundering provisions he championed that are part of the Patriot Act. He will complete the placement of all non-bank financial institutions within U.S. anti-money laundering regulations, so that criminals cannot avoid our money laundering laws by using hedge funds and other unregulated forms of financial institution. He will also freeze assets of foreign banks known to hold funds of terrorist groups.

IMPROVE INFORMATION SHARING BETWEEN INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. The Patriot Act took some steps to improve communication between law enforcement, including developing a national network of electronic crime task forces to share information. However, despite its expectations that those on the frontlines protect our cities and communities from terrorism the Federal government does not adequately share information with local law enforcement to keep us safe. Kerry will improve information sharing between Federal intelligence officials and local law enforcement officers, including:

Giving appropriate state and local authorities immediately access to the 58 national terrorist lists; and creating a 24-hour operations center in each state to provide a real time intergovernmental link between local and federal law enforcement.

Patriot Act Did Not Solve The Problem of Information Sharing: The President’s radio address glosses over the fact that there has been more than sufficient legal authority for intelligence sharing. The only provision of the Patriot Act that actually enhances intelligence sharing allows for the sharing of certain information obtained through foreign intelligence wiretaps with criminal investigators. However, court decisions make it clear that the Department of Justice had this authority even without the Patriot Act.

President Bush, Attorney General Ashcroft and other senior Bush Administration officials simply failed to exercise leadership and make certain that their agencies actually did cooperate with each other.

Over two years after 9/11, intelligence sharing is still not a priority: More than two years after 9/11, and “years behind schedule,” FBI (IAFIS) and Immigration (IDENT) fingerprint databases are still not merged, meaning that there is a very real risk that terrorists and other serious violent criminals will be permitted entry because officers check one database or the other. (Inspector General, Department of Justice, “Status of IDENT/IAFIS Integration, July 2003. Center for State Homeland Security, 3/4/2004; Inspector General, Department of Justice, “IDENT/IAFIS: The Batres Case and the Status of Integration Project”, 3/2004.)

More than 2 years after 9/11, state and local officials are still not having intelligence shared with them. (U.S. Senate, Governmental Affairs Committee (Minority). “State and Local Officials: Still Kept in the Dark About Homeland Security,” August 2003.)

Agencies Still Aren’t Sharing Intelligence Information. “The Bush administration's response to the U.S. intelligence and law-enforcement agencies' failure to communicate is the Terrorist Threat Integration Center. Launched last May, TTIC is an independent body manned with analysts from more than a dozen agencies, including the CIA, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the National Security Agency, the Coast Guard, Homeland Security and the Secret Service. … But critics from inside the intelligence community complain that, even now, everything the various agencies learn is not being shared. The problem, they say, is that the CIA and other agencies still don't play well with others. ‘The whole bureaucracy is against TTIC,’ says one CIA analyst. ‘They've got the long knives out for it.’ Another problem is that draconian security rules still hamper the new center from feeding hot intel tips quickly to people in the field who need them, like U.S. soldiers or intelligence teams hunting terrorists overseas. …some critics say TTIC's problems are still so serious that it may need a presidential shake-up.”

Only Half Finished with Terrorist List Database. ”Mueller also said that an effort to combine several U.S. government terrorist watch lists into a single database is half complete, with a goal of finishing this summer. That database, called the Terrorist Screening Center, is a combined effort of numerous agencies overseen by the FBI. The center began operating Dec. 1 and has been providing some information about potential terrorists to requesting agencies.”

Terrorist List Database One Year Behind Schedule. “The federal government's efforts to integrate terror watch lists from 9 agencies is a full year behind schedule, according to testimony by Stone.”

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0417a.html

[Solidarity]

26. And Also This!

And for the last three days while Bush campaigns hard in defense of the Patriot Act this .......... " "

[BabsSong]

29. I think Kerry simply needs to re-state publicly, to reporters the things

you have listed here that are on his website. Usually when one disagrees with what the other is saying on the stump that day, the media will talk about the disagreement. So Kerry needs to do more than put it on a website---he needs to speak out with his ideas or even do a Sat. radio address rebutting Bush. I really don't know why his campaign cannot think some of these things out.