It’s not partisan politics to care about civil liberties

President Bush said Tuesday that partisan politics were blocking the full reauthorization of the USA Patriot Act. And spokesman Scott McClellan charged that Senate Democrats are doing the bidding of liberal special interest groups.
It’s true that most of the lawmakers who resisted the law’s full reauthorization were Democrats. However, they are joined by some Republicans who care about civil liberties and privacy rights. And there are conservatives outside of the Senate who are consistent in supporting individual rights and limited government. Former GOP Rep. Bob Barr, for example, heads a group called Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances. He argued: “Unless this bill contains meaningful reforms restoring much-needed constitutional checks and balances to the law, the privacy of all Americans remains in grave jeopardy.”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee

12 Comments

  1. mrcontroversy
    Posted January 5, 2006 at 12:27 am | Permalink

    Bob Barr said that?Colonel Hochsteder, look to your laurels.

  2. "Rage
    Posted January 5, 2006 at 1:41 am | Permalink

    mrcontroversy, where have you been, dude? Has the River City Forum been taking all your time? Barr has been hostile to the Patriot Act for years. He’s even working with the ACLU (on his stupid Marriage Amendment, they of course have agreed to disagree).

  3. Rage
    Posted January 5, 2006 at 1:43 am | Permalink

    Er, I meant Defense of Marriage Act (it’s Kansas that has the stupid Marriage Amendment. . .).

  4. writerdog
    Posted January 5, 2006 at 2:46 am | Permalink

    No Mr. President, the reason why there is a fight to stop the Patriot act from being passed as you like it. Its the fact you want it to be evermore. Without end, unless it is your intent to be at war forever. There must be an end to the stretching of the powers of the Government.

  5. Ed Friedemann
    Posted January 5, 2006 at 5:21 am | Permalink

    No, George, It’s that pesky “G-d piece of paper again.”

    Aside: I really don’t think he knows the difference. No, I really don’t think he thinks, period.

  6. Ed Friedemann
    Posted January 5, 2006 at 5:23 am | Permalink

    Well, You can’t be sent by God to lead the Crusade while being hamstrung by a “constitution.”

  7. Ed Friedemann
    Posted January 5, 2006 at 8:51 am | Permalink

    With the demise of Ariel Sharon as Bush’s new “daddy” Bush’lack of inteelgence becomes ever more of a threat.His evangelical nonsense may be exploited to a greater extent by those PNACers which surround him now. He is especially vulnerable to be talked into believing God has allowed it to fall to him to prepare the “holy lands” for Jesus. Ariel Sharon was smart enough, though still greedy, to not upset the Middle East balance into a total all-out rebellion. George is not that smart. He has been relying on Sharon who has been calling the shots. There’s no one left as smart as Sharon in Bush’s circle and the probably of a miscalculation by Bush is moving crude oil up. Cheney may be the only cool head left.

    For all his faults, Sharon was still a good politician with a good read on the political landscape.

  8. Ed Friedemann
    Posted January 5, 2006 at 9:02 am | Permalink

    Now would be a good time for Bill Clinton and Bush Sr. to sit little Bush before the PNACers get to him. I don’t think little Bush would talk to his dad without Clinton to mediate.

    Bush Sr. and Clinton understand the Middle East.

  9. Sum1
    Posted January 6, 2006 at 4:49 am | Permalink

    We could accomplish so much more if we could just throw out those two words (Democrat/Republican) and start over.

    Scotty McClellan’s mom had the right idea. She’s the Texas Comptroller that is running for governor on the Independent ticket.

    Her statement was to the effect that the republican party had so divided Texas, that to be effective she needed to change her party.

  10. Ed Friedemann
    Posted January 6, 2006 at 11:10 am | Permalink

    I run the freeways here in Dallas everyday, and on Federal holidays traffic is down by a least 80%

    Bloated government has reached critical mass, and with the absence of responsible management of tax-money, something has got to give. The United States faces a rebellion of sorts, faced the prospect of spending itself out of existence.

    There couldn’t be a worse time for a crazy-man to be in the White House.

  11. Dubya
    Posted January 6, 2006 at 12:28 pm | Permalink

    Hey founding fathers!

    King George is BACK!

    You loose!

    Dubya!

  12. John Public
    Posted January 6, 2006 at 8:30 pm | Permalink

    Hey George!

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    Sit on it! You once again have my vote ….. never mind the hanging chad!