Senators reach agreement to extend Patriot Act for six months.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

Senators reach agreement to extend Patriot Act for six months.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

Headline is up; story to come.

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

1. Subheadline: Cheney calls off TB strike on Atlanta.

[dapper]

3. :hurts:

:hurts:

:-)

[GrumpyGreg]

2. I'll be damned--thanks for the link.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

4. Deal reached to extend Patriot Act (here's the link)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10562008/


WASHINGTON - Senators on Wednesday agreed to extend the expiring provisions of the USA Patriot Act for six months to allow the bill’s critics to continue to seek additional civil liberty safeguards in the anti-terrorism law.

The deal, if passed by the GOP-controlled Senate, would still need to get the approval of the Republican-controlled House and President Bush, but it would keep the Patriot Act provisions from expiring on Dec. 31.

Republican and Democratic senators had been negotiating all day long to try and break an impasse over the anti-terrorism law passed after the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington. It is one of the last pieces of legislation still outstanding in the Senate, which is trying to wrap up its legislative year.

A House-Senate compromise extending 16 expiring provisions of the Patriot Act had been stuck in the Senate for the past week because of a Democratic-led filibuster. Opponents of that bill say they want more safeguards in the legislation, and have asked for more time to seek more civil liberty protections in the law.

[Rowdyboy]

5. Bush blinked, bg time.....

Drip...
drip...
drip...
drp...


drip.......................

[kainah]

8. well....

otoh, he's threatened to veto any extension. I'd love to see him do it. :freak:

[rodeodance]

29. should be juicy

[msongs]

6. no changes to this abomination? looks like the dems blinked...

if the goal was to strip the act of its most awful contents, that effort
has failed.

if the goal was to keep it as it is/was, that effort has succeeded.

don't see anything special to celebrate here if it is STILL THE SAME.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[mac56]

7. I agree with you.

Don't see where Bush or the Repubs blinked.

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

11. Well, they wanted it made permanent, not just renewed.

Also, I think Shrubby and Friends wanted this whole issue locked in and settled before the election season. Now it's going to be back on the table at a time when many legislators will actually be paying attention to what their constituents want.

[sandnsea]

25. Did you see the new and improved Patriot Act?

It was worse than what we've got now. This is a huge win for the Democrats. We beat back that monstrosity from the House, didn't give up the sunset, and have this as an issue right before the mid-terms.

We had huge wins today, enormous, monstrous. And people still bitch. I wish I could say I'm surprised.

[screembloodymurder]

38. It was dead, now it's alive.

I'm absolutely furious. I'll never vote for any of these fascist assholes again.

[worldgonekrazy]

46. The political climate will be more favorable in 6 months

Thats what the Dems are banking on. Bush and the Republicans are in a free fall and there doesn't seem to be any way for them to end it. So the Dems put this thing off for six months, figuring that at that time Bush and his ridiculous policies will hold no weight what-so-ever. Maybe they didn't need to do it, because I think we're already pretty close to that point, but I'm pretty sure thats what the Dems were thinking on this.

[NoodleyAppendage]

9. Extended just long enough to coincide with the ramp-up to the 06 mid-term

Once again, Dems blinked and were fed a "compromise" that works right into the Repuke 2006 mid-term election playbook. Now, Repukes will have the opportunity to stage a Patriot Act fight before the elections to prove their being the "security party".

Really stupid Dem leadership...really stupid. FOR ONCE WOULD YOU JUST STICK TO A HARDLINE "FUCK NO" VOTE?

JB

[TommyO]

10. Actually it's a great strategy

This way the Democrats can't be accused of blocking the Patriot Act, while Bush's illegal spying is investigated. I'm actually feeling good about this (damn my persistent optimism)

[NoodleyAppendage]

12. Maybe...it's a gamble though. And, one they didn't need to take.

King Shrub was on the ropes and in a VERY WEAK position. If the Patriot Act was allowed to expire, according to his Gestapo head Gonzales (yesterday) they were considering having Shrub just us the same justification for domestic spying and have him sign a Presidential order. If Shrub was forced into this box, it would only make him look even CRAZIER.

With people like Shrub, you have to utterly destroy them rather than giving an inch. He's a vindictive and petty little shit and allowing him to back off the ropes only adds to his potential to cause problems later.

JB

[VegasWolf]

15. Yes, but Bush will look like a fool when he doesn't veto it. His

position is dramatically weakened by his public pronouncements of veto. Can't wait to see him smiling during the signing ceremony.

[hollyh1985]

19. Ya, and next vote right before 06 elections

If Chimpy signs it, all the talk six month from now will be how Bush whimped out on his last veto threat.

If Chimpy vetos, then the Pukes entire strategy falls apart. If opposing the Patriot Act = supporting terrorists and Bush vetoed the only way to keep the Patriot Act, doesn't that mean Bush supports terrorists?

[salin]

32. with ALL the "look who is really being investigated" stories

spilling out now... by six months it will be like the DSM - where the public psyche shifts over time to accept the truth (that was rejected for a long time, because it was counter to how most folks were taught to view their govt) that the administration lied with their prewar "intelligence" - in this case it is looking better and better that the public psyche will shift to accept that the govt is illegally spying on citizens who pose no threat, and thus wasting resources that could be used for national security (hurting the GOP on the one issue that they still get "credit" for) - and that the GOP directed govt just might be listening to everything anyone in the country says...

So not only does bushjr look weak now... he, his party and their policies will erode their ability to play the fear/national security card, and their willingness to corrupt the constitution will be even more widely accepted. bye bye to rove's dream/goal of a one-party rule system for the next half of a century.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

24. "...smiling during the signing ceremony..."

This is the photo on CNN's front page accompanying the "Senate leaders find Patriot Act deal" story (http://www.cnn.com/)



No smiles.

:evilgrin:

[lonestarnot]

26. Me fucking too!

[I Have A Dream]

13. I agree, and I'm not a persistent optimist. n/t

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

14. I think * wanted this settled quickly.

See my post above. If the Patriot Act where locked in or repealed now, the public would probably have moved on and forgotten about it by voting time. By pushing the decision up another 6 months, the Dems have made it a crucial issue in an election year.

[SpiralHawk]

18. Ding ding ding ding - We have a winner!

Heigh Ho to Tommy O -- the DU Analyst of the Evening.

You got it. Feeling fine about this.

Bush's upcoming veto dilemma will be delicious.

The Dems are so greatly outnumbered in the House and Senate that have to pick their battles and the terrain and the timing. This battle can be fought later.

[depakid]

48. Yep- another sell out

They really don't seem to me to want to win anything at all. If they punt on Alito too, I look for them to lose a 7th congressional election in a row. I think people will see it as a devil you know- vs. a bunch of milquetoasts and losers.

[GatoLover]

16. Patriot Act to be extended six months

C-SPAN 2 just flashed an AP report that agreement had been reached to extend the Act for six months.

[sweettater]

17. Didn't y'all know

our esteemed senators wanted to go home for the happy holidays. ram everything through, yup that's the ticket.

[Bacchus39]

21. I think you gave the most plausible explanation

no doubt about it.

[Seansky]

20. what does it take for these senators to start working for us,,,our taxes??

[Hyernel]

22. Cheney's suitcase nukes are put back on safe mode.

Honestly, do you think Bush's political position in the next 6 months will be...

a.) better
b.) worse

If they couldn't make the Fascist Dictator Act permanent now, they never will. The window will close.

/Hint: It's "b"

[bain_sidhe]

23. The PATRIOT ACT is not expiring!

16 provisions of the patriot act are expiring... the WORST 16 provisions.

The rest of it never HAD a sunset.

:argh:

Sorry, I get so angry when the MSM makes it sound like every "protection" (sic) of the patriot act is going to disappear on Dec. 31.

[Lefty48197]

27. Will Bush flip flop and sign the six month extension?

McClelland said he wouldn't.

[Buns_of_Fire]

39. He'll sign it, bitterly, with many tears and rending of garments

Would his keepers let him cut off his nose to spite his face? (Not that it might not be an improvement, but that's another story.) They'll try to spin the flip-flopping to make it look like a great victory over the "obstructionist" Democrats.

But I wouldn't advise an official signing ceremony on this one -- I think he'll probably try to keep it as quiet as possible (like his Executive Odors -- silent, but deadly). A public display of his new-found weakness wouldn't look good to his supporters, y'know?

[B3Nut]

40. Nice Photoshop, but...

...picturing him with Glenlivet is an insult to fine single-malt scotches everywhere! :D

MD 20/20 is more his speed...though Capitol Hill Blue (grain of NaCl here) seemed to hint that his bottle of choice is Jim Beam. Shame that, I rather like Beam & Coke....

Todd in Beerbratistan

[tatertop]

28. we lose

[Voltaire99]

31. Again.

You'd think they'd get tired of crawling on their bellies before Bushism.

[burrowowl]

30. And may they during this time

READ IT and reflect and get rid of the DAMN THING!

[Nomen Tuum]

33. TREASON!

That is what it is. Period.

[screembloodymurder]

36. I agree.

And they should be treated as traitors.

[foo_bar]

34. soon they'll pass a law against being against the Patriot Act

"No one should be allowed to block the Patriot Act," Mr. Bush said in a statement ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/22/politics/22patriot.html?hp&ex=1135314000&en=fae94a968f460937&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[The Witch]

35. Hello? Huge win for Democrats!!

The arguments on the floor were "Extend the damn thing so we can discuss it and pass a permanent bill that protects civil liberties."

Republicans said "No, all or nothing, and by the way, you're being obstructionist."

Democrats get what they want and make Republicans look like they were forced into a deal (which they were). Sure it's six instead of three months, but that a) gives us even more time to work it out, and believe it or not this thing does involve real work not just political posturing; and b) makes us look like the party that's willing to compromise, where the Republicans look like the party that said "Yeahokfineyouwin pooh."

Compare quotes from AP story. Look at how they characterise the Republicans!

Republican leaders and Bush wanted to make most of the law permanent, but were stymied by a filibuster in the Senate and had to resort to a six-month extension.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said he had no choice but to accept a six-month extension in the face of a successful filibuster and the Patriot Act's Dec. 31 expiration date. "I'm not going to let the Patriot Act die," Frist said.

"We'll be right back where we are right now," said a clearly frustrated Sen. Orrin Hatch.

Dems look reasonable. Rs look impotent at best, obstructionist at worst. Hurray.

[Mad_Dem_X]

37. You're correct - I see this as

a positive thing, too.

[Wordie]

42. Oh yeah! Dems won BIG on this. Bush didn't want just a short extension.

He said he would not sign a 3-month extension. He's claiming victory now (I just heard his address of this morning) but that is just more nonsense spin. He lost, because he wanted it ALL passed without any limits at all.

The 6 month extension means this debate will surface again right before the '06 elections. Good!

[gkhouston]

43. better than that

this debate over how much of our civil liberties should sacrificed for our "safety" will be raging at a time when the spying stuff is being discussed. Two weeks ago, BushCo would have had a much easier time selling the Patriot Act that they will now. :evilgrin:

[Wordie]

44. And mix that in with a few tablespoons of PlameGate, and VOILA...

A lovely tasty treat, just in time for 2006! LOL

[Voltaire99]

47. Hindenburg crashes: Hello, big win for gravity!

Try to hold your applause until they actually achieve something.

Even if the GOP wanted permanent renewal, the Dems have merely set the stage for changes that may prove to be no more than cosmetic. Until then the status quo continues, and the Patriot Act will continue to harm Americans for another six months, and probably much longer.

One can only imagine what might happen if we had a real opposition party fighting Bushism.

[Wordie]

41. Senate Votes to Extend Patriot Act for 6 Months

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/21/AR2005122101211.html

By Charles Babington and Michael A. Fletcher
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, December 22, 2005; Page A01

A much-debated domestic surveillance law won a reprieve last night when senators agreed to continue it for six months to allow House and Senate negotiators to resume efforts next year to rewrite it for the longer term.

Some top Democratic and Republican senators said they were confident the House would agree to the compromise to prevent major provisions of the USA Patriot Act from expiring on Dec. 31. The Senate approved the extension on a voice vote.

President Bush, who had repeatedly said he would not accept a short-term extension of the Patriot Act, embraced the Senate's action last night. "I appreciate the Senate for working to keep the existing Patriot Act in law through next July, despite boasts last week by the Democratic leader that he had blocked the Act," Bush said in a statement. "No one should be allowed to block the Patriot Act to score political points, and I am grateful the Senate rejected that approach."

Critics say the proposed four-year renewal, which the House approved last week, is too slanted in the government's favor regarding national security letters and special subpoenas that give the FBI significant leeway in obtaining records. The targeted people should have a greater opportunity to challenge such subpoenas and the government should be required to show stronger evidence linking the items being sought to possible terrorism, they say. Now they have more time to press their case in the bill's rewrite.

[thecai]

45. DEFEND The Constitution

It is our DUTY as American Citizens to DEFEND The Constitution.
The patriot acts TRASH it.
End Fascism NOW.