Let's be honest with each other here... With the recent revelations about the Bush Administration's domestic surveillance policy(authorizing domestic spying, wire taps, electronic surveillance, on American citizens and ALL without warrants), why would we even need the PATROIT Act. Okay, some of you will say "we need it for other things". Well, my comment to you is this - Why can't President Bush just "order" whatever action he sees fit, if he thinks the action is critical to our national security? Why bother having the "Patriot Act" that provides broad law enforcement powers when all we need to do is have the President simply "authorize" whatever action is required, whenever he wants it??
Some people have said that Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton both had (an implied "used") these exact powers during their terms. It is interesting to note that those that have made this specific mention conveniently leave out Reagan and Bush 41. If Carter "had" these powers then so did Reagan and George Herbert Walker Bush. Why are these two GOP Presidents not included in this feeble attempt at a rebuttal?? Because the partisanship of the people that want to defend George W. Bush's current actions do not mesh well with the entire truth. Deception is the only way to deflect any real, open, honest discussion on this issue.
Let's pretend, for a moment, that Carter and Clinton both DID do what Bush has done? Does that still make it right? Are we to just drop the issue just because two Democratic Presidents did this too? The "Clinton did it" defense used by the Bushites ad nauseam, must stop!
My challenge to anyone that does not think this is a big deal, and to those that believe that Carter and Clinton both did exactly what Bush 43 has done, is to show us SPECIFICALLY where, when and how Carter and Clinton went around the FISA court.
How about a little history lesson on the FISA court for those that are not clear on the issue??
The FISA court was created in 1978 and was specifically put in place in order to allow quick decisions and actions in the name of national security. The FISA court is secretive. The judges that sit on this court are not publicly known. The merits of the cases that come before them are not public knowledge. It is very important to note that the FISA court only requires that the administration have their ducks in a row. Within 72 hours of a Presidential authorized wire tap/spying event, someone from the administration must appear before the FISA court and provide documentation as to why the surveilence is required. Since 1978 the court has heard more than 19,000 cases where surviellance / spying /wire taps, etc., was initiated without a warrant. A handful of these cases were either dropped or required resubmission due to incomplete data. All the rest of the cases were approved. In 2004, 1758 requests were received by the court. Three were withdrawn and one resubmitted and eventually approved. The court did not deny, in whole or in part, any application submitted to the Government in 2004.
So, back to the original question on the need for the Patriot Act. If the Administration feels empowered to bypass the secretive FISA court, then where will they stop? Why would the Bush administration stop just because the Patriot Act does not give them the power that they require? The FISA act of 1978 was pushed aside without any hesitation, so we must assume that the same thing can and will happen when the Patriot Act gets in Georgie's way.
The leftists in the world are starting to sound more and more relevant with each passing day of the current Bush administration. The calls from the left for King George to be stopped are starting to sound less and less like radical rhetoric and more like patriotic challenges to the American people. Challenges that require the American people to stand up, take notice and to take action.
As someone much older and wiser than I once authored:
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. "
People!!! We have two choices on this issue. We can either stand up for our collective liberty or, you can remain satisfied with the quality of cake that George & Co. currently allows to you eat.
"I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" March 23, 1775
By Patrick Henry
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