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Obama Supports Extending Provisions of the Patriot Act

Scorpion89

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http://www.foxnews.com/politics/200...ending-provision-patriot-act/?test=latestnews


The Obama administration supports extending three key provisions of the Patriot Act that are due to expire at the end of the year, the U.S. Justice Department told Congress in a letter made public Tuesday.

Lawmakers and civil rights groups had been pressing the Democratic administration to say whether it wants to preserve the post-Sept. 11 law's authority to access business records, as well as monitor so-called "lone wolf" terrorists and conduct roving wiretaps.

The provision on business records was long criticized by rights groups as giving the government access to citizens' library records, and a coalition of liberal and conservative groups complained that the Patriot Act gives the government too much authority to snoop into Americans' private lives.

Well I'm sure the folks on the Left will try to spin this some sortt of way but the fact is that as a Candit for President Mr. Obama was against renewing any part of the Patriot Act, hmm I wounder what changed his mind, Maybe when certain jackass's in his Cabinet say that their is a growing Right Wing Extremeist or that Militia are on a rise which neither has yet to be proven. Typical BS from Mr. Obama say's one thing whiler running for the Office opf the Presdient and after change's his mind. So how is the Hope and Change going folks on the Left.
 
Wasn't Bush called a fascist and nazi over the Patriot Act? I smell hypocracy from the left again.
 
The link didn't work for me so I used another one to quote which has the basic info the MSM has been reporting about the provisions mentioned in the OP.

From 2004 to 2007, the business records provision was used 220 times, usually in combination with requests for phone records. The lone wolf provision was created to conduct surveillance on suspects with no known link to foreign governments or terrorist groups. It has never been used. The roving wiretaps provision is aimed at allowing investigators to monitor calls by suspects who change their cell phones, without investigators having to go back to court for a new court authorization. That provision has been used an average of 22 times a year, officials said.

Obama Seeks To Extend Key Patriot Act Provisions | NBC Washington

I don't feel the provisions Obama is in support of extending has been used excessively. For the sake of national security, and no indication there is enough support to kill the Patriot Act entirely, I see no reason not to renew these 3 provisions.
 
Obama supporting more police powers????!!!! Im shocked! In related news the Sky is Blue

hahah, yeah. I said it before the election took place. No real difference between Obama and Bush and he's support the same crap I cried foul about Bush doing. So let's keep the big intrusive government ball rolling I guess. Wars done? Gitmo closed? Patriot Act extinguished? I still say anyone who bought into the hope and change rhetoric was a fool.

Man, one day maybe we can get some real hope and change into office.
 
Nope, I think it's crap. I know you righties think we liberals find him flawless, but it was never the case. This I do not like, but I did not expect to like everything he did.
 
Wasn't Bush called a fascist and nazi over the Patriot Act? I smell hypocracy from the left again.

Really? I just smell hypocracy.

Wasn't it said Bush was protecting us and caring about the well being of America by supporting the Patriot Act and he should be respected for that?

Yet all I see is those on the right immedietely jumping to attack "lefties" without daring to actually acknowledge the President they dislike so much just did something that "was protecting us and caring about the well being of America".

Seriously, cries of hypocracy when you're not acting somewhat hypocritical yourself is a bit disingenuous.

The Obama administration supports extending three key provisions of the Patriot Act that are due to expire at the end of the year, the U.S. Justice Department told Congress in a letter made public Tuesday.

Good, particularly on the Roving Wiretap rules which I've read a little bit on. Good though in a more general sense that it shows Obama has some wisdom in not wanting to just scrap any and every part of the bill simply because "OMG Patriot Act is bad!" My fears that needed and useful updating of our laws to an age where a Cell Phone isn't some kind of space age thing out of a fantasy novel.
 
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/200...ending-provision-patriot-act/?test=latestnews


The Obama administration supports extending three key provisions of the Patriot Act that are due to expire at the end of the year, the U.S. Justice Department told Congress in a letter made public Tuesday.

Lawmakers and civil rights groups had been pressing the Democratic administration to say whether it wants to preserve the post-Sept. 11 law's authority to access business records, as well as monitor so-called "lone wolf" terrorists and conduct roving wiretaps.

The provision on business records was long criticized by rights groups as giving the government access to citizens' library records, and a coalition of liberal and conservative groups complained that the Patriot Act gives the government too much authority to snoop into Americans' private lives.

Well I'm sure the folks on the Left will try to spin this some sortt of way but the fact is that as a Candit for President Mr. Obama was against renewing any part of the Patriot Act, hmm I wounder what changed his mind, Maybe when certain jackass's in his Cabinet say that their is a growing Right Wing Extremeist or that Militia are on a rise which neither has yet to be proven. Typical BS from Mr. Obama say's one thing whiler running for the Office opf the Presdient and after change's his mind. So how is the Hope and Change going folks on the Left.
obama said he was against renewing any part of the patriot act? i didn't realize that.

btw, no spin here, library records should be private. obama's wrong.
 
hahah, yeah. I said it before the election took place. No real difference between Obama and Bush and he's support the same crap I cried foul about Bush doing. So let's keep the big intrusive government ball rolling I guess. Wars done? Gitmo closed? Patriot Act extinguished? I still say anyone who bought into the hope and change rhetoric was a fool.

Man, one day maybe we can get some real hope and change into office.
wow......you're giving the guy 8 months to end 2 wars? how generous.
 
wow......you're giving the guy 8 months to end 2 wars? how generous.

If there was any movement towards that end, maybe there could be something said about it. But there's been nothing notable. Amping up again in Afghanistan, no real movement towards some "solution" in Iraq. How long will you give him, 8 years? What sort of time frame is ok? Or are you just deflecting because it's Obama and not Bush?
 
I see nothing wrong with the President wanting to retain those three provisions to the Patriot Act.

The "lone-wolf" aspect is a good one. I believe the intent here is to focus on "splinter cells" that act alone. And as we've come to learn over the years, as far as terrorist groups are concerned a "cell" could be just one person acting alone.

The provision for looking over business records is also necessary in order to catch those terrorist groups that function under the disguise as a legitimate business entity OR a charity.

I can even accept the roving cellphone provision since it's so easy not only for a terrorist to use an untraceable pre-paid cell phone but also to simply switch cell phone plans. What a $175 early termination fee to a terrorist organization that heavily finances in the millions?

Good provisions to maintain and rightly so, IMO.
 
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Looking at the 3 provisions.

1) "Roving Wiretaps": Requires that only a single warrant is needed in order to tap all a persons device. I consider this worth renewing, as people tend to own a multitude of electronic devices today. I don't see how tapping multiple devices is any more intrusive than one.

2) Obtaining Business records, including medical, financial and library: This one is a little less clear. Library and Medical records should not be collected, as they are purely circumstantial. I see a higher chance for abuse than providing useful data. Financial data and business records are okay, but only with a strict chain of custody, including a deletion of all records as soon as possible.

3) "The lone wolf " provision which allows for electronic wiretapping even without showing that the person has ties to an international organization. Never been used, but claimed to be useful. This part is utterly unacceptable. It allows for the targeting of random people without any evidence they are part of a terrorist organization. Its potential for abuse is staggering. If someone is a lone wolf, than FISA has no business being involved. It isn't called the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act for nothing.

I am not thrilled with Obama pushing all 3 provisions, especially the "lone wolf" one. However, I doubt McCain would have provided a better alternative is this area, so there wasn't much to be done. Chalk it up to another "2 parties no choices" event.
 
obama said he was against renewing any part of the patriot act? i didn't realize that.

btw, no spin here, library records should be private. obama's wrong.

The problem is at least one of the things listed there, the Roving Wiretaps, was one of the prime portions of the Patriot Act that groups like the ACLU and many liberal organizations were trumpeting as dangerous and a reason the bill must be killed.

I would find it odd to see left leaning moderates or straight out left leaning people coming out and saying this is fine and good when it includes one of the issues with the Patriot Act which was at the forefront of controversy.
 
Nope, I think it's crap. I know you righties think we liberals find him flawless, but it was never the case. This I do not like, but I did not expect to like everything he did.





:lol:


I find this situation most displeasing.......



How come I never heard this civility from many on the left when it was the other guy..... :2razz:
 
This is where I and many on the left differ greatly with Obama. However, this is no surprise. Despite attempts from the right to characterize Obama as "liberal", the reality is, on many issues such as this, Obama is anything but "far left".

I had hopes that Obama would prove me wrong, but if this is true, it doesn't come as a surprise, just a dissapointment.
 
:lol:


I find this situation most displeasing.......



How come I never heard this civility from many on the left when it was the other guy..... :2razz:

For the same reason those on the left don't hear this form of civility from those on the right now. I don't agree with the patriot act now or when it was established, but the reason you didn't hear this civility then is simple....Partisan bias
 
Wasn't Bush called a fascist and nazi over the Patriot Act? I smell hypocracy from the left again.


Better get your smeller checked.

There isn't a liberal on these boards or in Congress that agrees with him.

Unlike right wingers we have principles.

We don't praise the coup in Honduras and while at the same time rightly criticizing Iranians for anti-democratic measures.

We don't support illegal torture and complain about "illegal" aliens.

We don't defend Bush taking the habeus corpus rights of prisoners away, then get all hysterical with tall tales of "FEMA camps".
 
:lol:


I find this situation most displeasing.......



How come I never heard this civility from many on the left when it was the other guy..... :2razz:

I'm sure you already know why...:rofl
 
:lol:


I find this situation most displeasing.......



How come I never heard this civility from many on the left when it was the other guy..... :2razz:

Wasn't it Cheney that told people to F off?
 
Wasn't it Cheney that told people to F off?

No, he told one guy in paticular, "**** you". If I remember right, it was one of the Democrats that called Bush a Nazi, or murderer, or something.
 
No, he told one guy in paticular, "**** you". If I remember right, it was one of the Democrats that called Bush a Nazi, or murderer, or something.

As usual you don't "remember right".


AP

""According to congressional aides, Leahy said hello to Cheney following the taking of the Senate group photo on the floor of the chamber.

"Cheney, who is president of the Senate, then ripped into Leahy for the Democratic senator's criticism this week of alleged war profiteering in Iraq by Halliburton, the oil services company that Cheney once ran.

"During their exchange, Leahy noted that Republicans had accused Democrats of being anti-Catholic because they are opposed to some of President Bush's anti-abortion judges, the aides said.

"That's when Cheney unloaded with the 'F-bomb,' aides said.

"I think he was just having a bad day," said a forgiving Leahy
 
No, he told one guy in paticular, "**** you". If I remember right, it was one of the Democrats that called Bush a Nazi, or murderer, or something.

Read dragondad's post to get a clearer view.

On Tuesday, Cheney, serving in his role as president of the Senate, appeared in the chamber for a photo session. A chance meeting with Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (Vt.), the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, became an argument about Cheney's ties to Halliburton Co., an international energy services corporation, and President Bush's judicial nominees. The exchange ended when Cheney offered some crass advice.

"**** yourself," said the man who is a heartbeat from the presidency.

Cheney Dismisses Critic With Obscenity (washingtonpost.com)

I did a quick google and pretty much all the reportage says the same thing.
 
I knew it had to be some unfounded accusation by Leahy. I wonder if Leahy stll thinks that the IRaq oilfields could have been fixed with a 32-piece socket set from Sears.
 
Anyone who didn't see this coming long before the election wasn't paying attention. It's not really a surprise, and is a good move on his part.

wow......you're giving the guy 8 months to end 2 wars? how generous.

He's the one who claimed to end combat operations in Iraq in 16.
 
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