FBI Patriot Act Plan Concerns Lawmakers

[NVMojo]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Lawmakers expressed concern Sunday that the FBI was aggressively pushing the powers of the anti-terrorist USA Patriot Act to access private phone and financial records of ordinary people.

"We should be looking at that very closely," said Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., who is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "It appears to me that this is, if not abused, being close to abused."

Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, agreed, saying the government's expanded power highlights the risks of balancing national security against individual rights.

"It does point up how dangerous this can be," said Hagel, who appeared with Biden on ABC's "This Week."

more...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/bw-cong/2005/nov/06/110600778.html

[LiberalPartisan]

1. Who needs Al-Queda?

When we have the FBI to run roughshod over our rights, and so many radical right wingers enabling them and urging them on?

[slay]

8. I'm WAY more concerned about the actions of our own government

than any so called "Al-Queda". Our government hurts people I know every day with their fascist corporate christian tactics and their rediculous drug war. :( I run into "Al-Queda" lets see.. NEVER.

[indepat]

13. You've nailed the enemy within

[BulletproofLandshark]

2. Maybe said lawmakers should've been concerned

when they voted to approve the damn legislation. They willfully ignored the voices of the left trying to tell them the Patriot Act was a bad idea, that it could and would lead to abuses of power. If they don't like the results of their own actions, then I guess it's time for them to suck it up and repeal this vile piece of legislation.

[IndianaGreen]

3. You morons voted for PATRIOT without even reading it

and now you act so surprised that the government would use the powers you gave it. This is as stupid as being surprised that Bush went to war after you gave him the authority to do so.

Assholes!

[Daphne08]

5. Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin was the only Senator

who read it before the Senate voted for that foul piece of legislation, and he was the only Senator who voted against it. That ought to tell people something!

http://www.cnss.org/patriotact.htm

[Hyperions legacy]

4. Typical cokehead pap

No, serioulsy, this guy's all for wiping his ass with the constitution until his numbers start dropping in the polls. Then, all of a sudden, he thinks it's a bad idea. Anyone who's ever had a cocaine fiend for a roommate should be familiar with this type of behavior. They'll sell you lie, and then lie again later, saying they never said it. THEN they wonder why you don't trust them. Must be because you just HATE them, you HATING HATER! After all, he never lied, flip-flopped, or otherwise misled you, even though he did, but he doesn't remember it, because he's either an idiot or so coked up that his brain is percolating. No, its YOU! YOU'RE the liar! Not me!

[Qutzupalotl]

6. Welcome to DU

and well said.

:hi:

[NVMojo]

7. yep!! And welcome!

[newyawker99]

9. Hi Hyperions legacy!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Wordie]

10. Then why have both houses not allowed it to sunset? As it should have.

But instead, BOTH houses have VOTED to extend it, make it permanent. (This happened while everyone was distracted with Fitz.)

I don't know exactly where it stands now. Last I heard, the two versions, House and Senate, were being reconciled. What happened here? How did it stay alive?

[Realityhack]

12. Even sunsetting would not be enough.

as stated in the article this provision would not have expired.

[Realityhack]

11. The 'patriot' act leads to abuse...

I'm Shocked I tell ya SHOCKED.

How do these people sleep at night. How do they function all day without killing themselves (intenionaly or accidentaly).

[Wordie]

14. I see now. But even so, why have lawmakers not voted to remove it, then?

Even while they are extending other portions (Which I am also very much against, and I thoughts lots of others were as well, but they went ahead recently and renewed most of it. But I realize that's a topic for another thread.)

[Marie26]

15. FBI using Patriot Act to spy on 30,000 Americans

"The Connecticut case affords a rare glimpse of an exponentially growing practice of domestic surveillance under the USA Patriot Act, which marked its fourth anniversary on Oct. 26. "National security letters," created in the 1970s for espionage and terrorism investigations, originated as narrow exceptions in consumer privacy law, enabling the FBI to review in secret the customer records of suspected foreign agents. The Patriot Act, and Bush administration guidelines for its use, transformed those letters by permitting clandestine scrutiny of U.S. residents and visitors who are not alleged to be terrorists or spies."

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9939709/