Thank You Russ

Recent events should cause those that saw critics of the Patriot act as paranoid or "partasian" to reflect again.

Feingold refused to back down. He met the White House onslaught with a promise to do everything in his power to block reauthorization of the act in a form that does not sufficiently address concerns about federal agencies entering the homes of citizens of innocent Americans, reviewing library and medical records as part of "fishing expeditions" and secretly subpoenaing information without following standard legal procedures. .......The coalition came together around the premise that freedom need not be sacrificed in order to maintain security...........

When Attorney General Alberto Gonzales lobbied the Senate on behalf of the conference report, claiming that the version under consideration was respectful of civil liberties and pleading with senators to "trust" the administration to do the right thing, Feingold took to the floor of the Senate with a blistering response.
"Trust of government cannot be demanded, or asserted, or assumed, it must be earned," the senator said. "And this government has not earned our trust. It has fought reasonable safeguards for constitutional freedoms every step of the way. It has resisted congressional oversight and often misled the public about its use of the Patriot Act. And now the Attorney General is arguing that the conference report is adequate ‘protection for civil liberties for all Americans.' It isn't." .....

As Feingold said Friday, "Today's vote proves that this is not a partisan issue. This is an American issue and a constitutional issue. Now is the time to come together to give the government the tools it needs to fight terrorism and protect the rights and freedoms of innocent citizens."


To justify all this by the "protecting Americans" defense is impossible in any kind of linear fashion. You must first believe that those with donkey carts and RPGs are more dangerous to us than the idea that we could be felled from within. Let me tell you...That is the only way it will happen. How much do you believe in this country...the constitution....the rule of law...freedom and liberty.....to not be under the eye or thumb of the government at any or all times? I know the wingnuts would not be in favor of this under Ted Kennedy. They MUST break through the partisianship and polorization for the good of the country.....come on wingnuts, the rest of us have moved forward, we're waiting for you....not much longer though.