GOPers skipped out on a Patriot Act vote to attend the Bachmann tea party.

[DearAbby]

When it's a choice between strengthening the Patriot Act, or showing up for the Tea Party Patriots, what's a GOP lawmaker to do? We'll give you one guess...

Several Republican members of Congress yesterday blew off votes on the signature anti-terror legislation of the post 9/11 era to attend Michele Bachmann's Tea Party rally against health-care reform.

Reps. Steve King of Iowa, Trent Franks of Arizona, Randy Forbes of Virginia, Jim Jordan of Ohio, and Louie Gohmert and Ted Poe of Texas all took time out yesterday for the "Super Bowl of Freedom," as Bachmann has called it. And all missed votes in the House Judiciary committee on Republican-sponsored amendments to the reauthorization of the Patriot Act -- measures that would have toughened the Act, but narrowly failed. Those votes took place, a committee staffer confirmed, between noon and two -- the very time when Republican lawmakers were rallying the Tea Party troops on the Capitol steps.

One measure, offered by Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, the ranking Republican on the committee, would have extended the "lone wolf" provisions of the Act, which would allow the FBI to surveil or search foreign nationals even if it can't be shown that the person is an agent of a foreign power. Many believe that had this been in effect before 9/11, the FBI might have caught Zacarias Moussaoui. And Republicans had said that extending the lone wolf provision this time around was crucial to protecting national security. Even some Democrats supported the measure, giving it a good chance of passage. But it failed by a single vote, 15-15. Reps. King and Gohmert were absent.


more at link
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/patriot_games_gop_reps_pick_tea_party_rally_over_n.php

[babylonsister]

1. Wow. Skewed priorities there. nt

[Taverner]

2. Hmmmm...this gives me an idea. Let's revoke ALL of the Patriot act...

When Beck, Limbaugh or Hannity has some Hootenanny!

[clear eye]

7. Yeah. Great opportunity! n/t

[tanyev]

3. I hear she makes a fabulous cucumber sandwich.

[DearAbby]

4. I guess protesting against the very government you work for

is more important than National Security, eh?

[opihimoimoi]

5. KnR.....how stupid they behave....GOP...Party of Phobias The Fear blinds them to REASON

[clear eye]

6. Please don't call these poor, deluded corporatist fellow-travelers "patriots".

The only allegiance their movement has is to the "right" of greed.

[DearAbby]

8. Kickin this- Hypocrites