Obama Signs Reauthorization of Three Patriot Act Provisions
By
Stephanie Woodrow | February 27, 2010 5:51 pm
President Barack Obama on Saturday signed into law legislation that would temporarily extend three controversial provisions of the Patriot Act that had been set to expire.
The House took final congressional action on the measure on Thursday, voting 315-97 to keep in place the Patriot Act’s “lone wolf,” business records and “roving wiretap” powers until Feb. 28, 2011. The Senate had passed the bill by voice vote Wednesday night.
Here is a summary of the provisions that were due to expire:
- Lone wolf: Allows the government to track a target without any discernible affiliation to a foreign power, such as an international terrorist group. The provision applies only to non-U.S. persons. The government has never used it.
- Business records: Allows investigators to compel third parties, including financial services and travel and telephone companies, to provide access to a suspect’s records without the suspect’s knowledge.
- Roving wiretaps: Allows the government to monitor phone lines or Internet accounts that a terrorism suspect may be using, regardless of whether others who are not suspects also regularly use them. The government must provide the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court with specific information suggesting a suspect is purposely switching means of communication to evade detection.
Obama signs this into law on a Saturday – the slowest news day other than Friday.
But why should we be surprised?
Obama & fellow Dems, given that they have 59 in the Senate and the majority of the House, could have forced the Repubs to have to stick it out and REALLY have to filibuster changes to certain provisions in the Patriot Act (that would have given more privacy protections). But Obama & fellow Dems had no intention of putting up a fight.
Again, why should we be surprised?
Obama campaigned heavily on ending indefinite detention without trial, but he has flip-flopped on that. Obama also campaigned heavily on ending the use of warrantless wiretaps; but since being elected, he has defended the use of warrantless wiretaps.
And Bagram Air Base has now been dubbed “Obama’s Guantanamo.”
Some “hope” and “change” all right….
[...] reauthorized the Patriot Act, extending some provisions that were set to expire. President Obama signed the bill into law on Saturday night when his cowardly act would be least likely to be noticed. From the ACLU [...]
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let’s take this a piece at a time.
1; Allows the government to track a target without any discernible affiliation to a foreign power, such as an international terrorist group.
OK first the us intelligence agencies prior to 9 11 has never been restricted to who they follow. the only agencies restricted as to who they follow is the justice dept.
2: The provision applies only to non-U.S. persons.
again if the intelligence communities can track any non us citizen why do they need this? simple its a contradiction and a lie to think that any part of the patriot act is not for the us citizens.
3; The government has never used it.
now this lie should be painfully see through, first if it has never been used why renew it? second as stated previously the entire patriot act is to be used against Americans.
4; Allows investigators to compel third parties, including financial services and travel and telephone companies, to provide access to a suspect’s records without the suspect’s knowledge.
has someone forgotten about the 4th amendment? lets just take a look that way we can see just how this violates the 4th amendment to that pesky constitution thingy.
Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
So you see that an American has the protection of law and his god given rights to be secure in their persons, houses, PAPERS, and EFFECTS against unreasonable searches and seizures….in other words this little gem is a violation of the very liberties and freedoms that we are supposed to be protecting, is this to much of a leap for most people to comprehend?
5; Roving wiretaps: Allows the government to monitor phone lines or Internet accounts that a terrorism suspect may be using, regardless of whether others who are not suspects also regularly use them. The government must provide the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court with specific information suggesting a suspect is purposely switching means of communication to evade detection.
again refer to the 4th amendment. the government DOES NOT have the authority to monitor ANY American citizen,especially ones NOT involved with any kind of crime. second here and this is the biggest part of this destruction of the constitution and the 4th amendment, FISA courts are SECRET! no one other than a hand picked (from the president) gets to review these requests for warrantless searches and monitoring. so there is no probable cause, no supporting oath or affirmation only the hunches and speculation of the law enforcement or intelligence agent involved. VERY NAZI LIKE or maybe Stalinist soviet union like, or whatever totalitarian government you care to install here. point is this whole thing is very NOT AMERICACN and a clear cut disregard for the constitution.
time to wake up America and remind our “elected” leaders that we also have the right and duty to revisit the declaration of independence!
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