Quote:
Originally Posted by djplong
Oh the Democrats went along with it.
As usual, rushing things, I should have been more explicit.
I kinda give Congress a pass on the initial PATRIOT Act. We were reacting to something horrible. It happens.
The recent reauthorization, however, was different. Whereas in 2001, only one Senator voted against it, now, 10 Senators voted "Nay". All 10 were Democrats. (Ok, 9 Democrats and a supposedly Independent - Jeffords from VT but he caucused as a Democrat if memory serves)
Don't get me wrong - they're guilty as well. But not a single Republican stood up for our civil liberties in the Senate. *NOT ONE*.
In the House, the vote was 275-144 in favor with only 27 Republicans voting against it (Rand Paul of Kentucky was leading the charge in that group). That means 117 Democrats voting against it.
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You seem to forget in your rush to demonize Republicans, and THAT is your agenda......these are the Presidents remarks at the signing of this act, and by the way our commander in chief is a Democrat...
""It's an important tool for us to continue dealing with an ongoing terrorist threat," Obama said Friday after a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkoz"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_867851.html
Also need to point out that Rand Pau... was the "fly in the ointment" in holding this up and he is a Republican.
A few other items you neglected to mention...
"Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) led opposition on the Senate floor Monday, arguing that the provisions allow the government to peer too deeply into Americans' private lives. He questioned the wisdom of trading privacy for national security."
"Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, defended the provisions as needed by law enforcement to investigate terrorism suspects — especially after the killing of Osama bin Laden, when threats may increase.
"This is a time when our vigilance must be heightened," Feinstein said."
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may...t-act-20110524
You just seemed to skip over the actual facts, and you are certainly entitled to your opinion and should be expressing it, but making it a party thing as you have done is wrong.
I ask again...is not Sen Paul a Republican since you said...."But not a single Republican stood up for our civil liberties in the Senate. *NOT ONE*.
"Congress bumped up against the deadline mainly because of the stubborn resistance from a single senator, Republican freshman Rand Paul of Kentucky, who saw the terrorist-hunting powers as an abuse of privacy rights. Paul held up the final vote for several days while he demanded a chance to change the bill to diminish the government's ability to monitor individual actions."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_867851.html
Again dont get me wrong...you have every right to have your opinion and state it loudly and clearly but your post very very clearly was meant to condemn one party and that is what is wrong with this country right now...the NEED to do that.
PS...it seems to me if I stopped at my quotes I could make a case about those Democrats however that would be using a few select quotes to distort what happened...perhaps it may have have been.....and I am quoting RICHIE on this.....
"or, was it a bill passed by a majority of both Republicans and Democrats in accordance to the provisions of our Constitution.