ACLU: Obama’s Reversal On Patriot Act Reform 'A Major Travesty’

[Purveyor]

Key components in the USA Patriot Act are set to expire at the end of the year, but President Barack Obama is seeking to extend them, reversing his stark opposition in the past to the same provisions.

"The president's reversal on Patriot Act reform is a major travesty," said Michelle Richardson, Legislative Counsel for the leading civil rights group ACLU, in an interview with Raw Story. "There have been many, many abuses of power in the last four years."

These three main aspects in question allow the government to acquire private information about civilians through warrantless wiretapping of phone calls and emails, as well as seizure of records from credit reporting companies, banks, internet service providers and libraries. Another component includes the loosening of conditions under which an individual can be accused of providing "material support" to terrorists.

In 2005, then-Senator Obama pledged to filibuster a Bush-sponsored bill that included several of these exact components, calling it "just plain wrong" in a Senate speech.

MORE...

http://rawstory.com/2009/11/obamas-patriot-act-extensions-major-flip-earlier-stances/

[closeupready]

1. There we go.

K&R

[YOY]

2. Grumble grumble grumble...saw it coming months ago.

What the fuck are the FReeps bitching about?

So much for having an expert on Constitutional Law in charge.

[derby378]

3. So our public libraries still aren't safe?

:grr:

[kenny blankenship]

5. Americans must sacrifice freedom at home so that American companies may have freedom abroad

And what could be more patriotic?

[LaPera]

4. And the duplicity just keeps on coming...as it has and will continue.

[rudy23]

6. Can we stop acting shocked every time Obama is not on our side?

Clearly he is not who we thought he was, and we were all taken for a ride. For the next three years we are going to have to fight for our party with a popular Republican President who is trying to redefine us as being as crazy as the teabaggers. Our low-information friends who claim to be Democrats are going to buy it, too. I'm just saying---we need to move past the shock phase of the betrayal, and start thinking about how to explain what's going on to our mainstream friends so we all know where to concentrate our efforts.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

7. I wonder how Obama would have voted on Iraq if he were a US Senator who had to vote for the record?

:think:





No.. I don't really wonder.

[depakid]

8. The stench of 1994 is getting stronger....

[freddie mertz]

9. Sickening.

Spying on people's library records.

Worthy of 1984.

Where are the pepsters to defend this?

[FrenchieCat]

10. Reading the links provided in this story takes me to a fact that

congress will vote sometime next year on this, and that this President doesn't
have direct say in what comes in and what goes out of the Patriot act.

In addition, the article doesn't provide information on what actions this President has taken
to extend the provisions that the story discusses. Can someone help me with this? I don't want to just be reactionary just because it's the kool thing to do.

[thereismore]

11. Hey Senate, stop debating Healthcare! I need my Patriot act renewed. I'm a war Presnit dammit! nt

[GeorgeGist]

12. Coward Obama

[Vidar]

13. K&R.

[FlyByNight]

14. Apparently, being a constitutional scholar...

...means how better to circumvent it.

:thumbsdown:

[bvar22]

15. But you got to admit...

...That man sure can give a good speech!

[freddie mertz]

16. Not a whole lot of the "you knew this when you voted for him" crowd here...

Probably because we really didn't.. though we should have guessed after the FISA betrayal.

You know, the one where he broke his filibuster pledge.

A sign of things to come.

[LooseWilly]

17. Reply 3: Mandyzzz: Awwwwwkward!

I think she summed it up well...