Terrorism Only Involved 3/763 Applications of PATRIOT Act

[zengonzo]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/23/watch-doj-official-blows_n_296209.html

Only three of the 763 "sneak-and-peek" requests in fiscal year 2008 involved terrorism cases, according to a July 2009 report from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Sixty-five percent were drug cases.

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) quizzed Assistant Attorney General David Kris about the discrepancy at a hearing on the PATRIOT Act Wednesday. One might expect Kris to argue that there is a connection between drug trafficking and terrorism or that the administration is otherwise justified to use the authority by virtue of some other connection to terrorism.

He didn't even try. "This authority here on the sneak-and-peek side, on the criminal side, is not meant for intelligence. It's for criminal cases. So I guess it's not surprising to me that it applies in drug cases," Kris said.

"As I recall it was in something called the USA PATRIOT Act," Feingold quipped, "which was passed in a rush after an attack on 9/11 that had to do with terrorism it didn't have to do with regular, run-of-the-mill criminal cases. Let me tell you why I'm concerned about these numbers: That's not how this was sold to the American people. It was sold as stated on DoJ's website in 2005 as being necessary - quote - to conduct investigations without tipping off terrorists."

Kris responded by saying that some courts had already granted the Justice Department authority to conduct sneak-and-peeks. But Feingold countered that the PATRIOT Act codified and expanded that authority -- all under the guise of the war on terror.

Feingold, the lone vote against the PATRIOT Act when it was first passed, is introducing an amendment to curb its reach. "I'm going to say it's quite extraordinary to grant government agents the statutory authority to secretly break into Americans homes," he said.


Kills me that this guy is just going to play it off straight.

[Houngan]

Email being sent now to congresspeople. Is it too soon for his bill?

H.

[Tim Partlett]

Next you'll find them using the terrorist laws to spy on parents who might be sending their children to schools in the wrong zoning area... like they do in Britain.

[noun]

But but but all of us who predicted this would happen were irrational Liberal hippies! HOW COULD THIS BE TRUE?

[Houngan]

And gun nuts. Don't forget us. Irrational far-left gun nuts.

H.

[Robert Sharp]

We will never forget about you gun nuts. In fact, I'm so worried about you that I have a gun, just in case you come near me.

As for the OP, won't the supporters of the Patriot Act just fall back on the same tired line? "If you aren't guilty you have nothing to hide." And these are cases where guilt of a crime was discovered, right? So America is still being made safer, cause people aren't smoking joints!

[zengonzo]

I'm not sure how it will go now that it is Obama's watch. I would've expected there'd be much more concern about it. But I guess that somehow slips through, as long as they're using it for the most part to get drug dealers.

There's just not very much public consciousness on the subject, seems like. Either way, really. People just don't seem to care.

Where are the Constitutionalists on this issue?

[Houngan]

I'm not sure how it will go now that it is Obama's watch. I would've expected there'd be much more concern about it. But I guess that somehow slips through, as long as they're using it for the most part to get drug dealers.

There's just not very much public consciousness on the subject, seems like. Either way, really. People just don't seem to care.

Where are the Constitutionalists on this issue?

To be fair, and I'm very concerned about this, I give him a full pass until the economy/war/healthcare is handled. Sadly, I'm willing to trade temporary suspension of my rights for long-term stability.

H.

[Tim James]

To be fair, and I'm very concerned about this, I give him a full pass until the economy/war/healthcare is handled. Sadly, I'm willing to trade temporary suspension of my rights for long-term stability.Sure is annoying how hard it is to revoke a stupid law in the United States of America. You'd think they could stay at work one day instead of taking a vacation to their home districts, Pelosi could get up and say "fuck this noise," and have a vote called before their mistresses even notice they're not home. I guess when everyone is terrified by terrorism or healthcare, depending on the party, you can drag your feet for another election cycle.

Shit, you don't even have to lift a finger. Simply don't renew it. Don't provide the money for the feds to make you look like a chump.

[bago]

A perfect expression of the way people felt on 9/12. Falls under the category of "nobody could have predicted" as well.

[Blackadar]

A perfect expression of the way people felt on 9/12. Falls under the category of "nobody could have predicted" as well.

No, sadly some of us predicted it.

And no, I don't expect to Feingold's bill get anywhere. Once an entity has power, it's very difficult to get them to relinquish that power.

[Tim James]

And no, I don't expect to Feingold's bill get anywhere. Once an entity has power, it's very difficult to get them to relinquish that power.I'm convinced that trying to pass a bill to curb something is done to make it seem like you're battling without having to even make the easy decision that will actually work, which is to simply not go out of your way to renew a bill. Another example would be the House Democrats impotent attempts to compel George Bush to end the war in Iraq even when they hold all the purse strings.

I understand you guys know all about Congress, I'm just ranting on a Friday.

[zengonzo]

I only know enough about Congress to be annoyed.

[John Many Jars]

http://922warning.com/

[Houngan]

Ah, numerology, is there nothing you can't do?

H.

[salwon]

That is FANTASTIC. I really hope it's sincere.

[Jon Rowe]

I am glad I get to vote for this guy every 6 years.

[Dean]

So was Chicago nuked? Did the major media outlets and the Obama administration cover up the nuking of Chicago?

Is there nothing they won't do?

[WarrenM]

Hey, hey, hey ... He very clearly wrote 'might' on that page. He's clear.

[bago]

No, sadly some of us predicted it.

And no, I don't expect to Feingold's bill get anywhere. Once an entity has power, it's very difficult to get them to relinquish that power.

It's in quotation marks for a reason.


No One Could Have Predicted- Used by members of the Bush Administration, especially Condolezza Rice, about situations that anybody with an IQ above room temperature could (and frequently did) predict. Thus, “In May 2002… Condoleezza Rice said, ‘I don’t think anyone could have predicted that these people would take an airplane and slam it into the World Trade Center.’”—although the World Trade Center had been attacked by terrorists in 1993, and GWBush had been given an official briefing in August 2001 titled “Osama bin Ladin determined to Strike within the United States.” Became an object of ridicule after Hurricane Katrina, and is frequently employed by bloggers and commenters about situations that were easily predicted, such as “No one could have predicted that electing a black man would drive some people crazy…”

[Anti-Bunny]

"Video-Fisking" (that sounds wrong) Fox News on the Patriot Act
http://www.juliansanchez.com/2009/10/06/fox-on-patriot-a-video-fisking/