Patriot Act Extension Shot Down

[BlueHair]

Just when I thought the patriot act was going to finally expire and President Obama was going to keep his campaign promises (restrict warrantless wiretaps and increase oversight on government surveillance) ...

Obama signs temporary extension of Patriot Act (without the approval of congress)

How does this work? Executive order? I thought congress was in charge of making laws.

[Uncle Ted]

Obama made no promises to get rid of the patriot act. He only wanted to make the illegal stuff that Bush did legal. This extension of certain provisions of the patriot act is ostensibly to allow time for debate and to try to put things in place to allow the legal continuation of some of the illegal practices.

I don't like what Obama's doing, and he's certainly broken a lot of campaign promises, but this doesn't seem to be one of them.

Just extending the patriot act (without any changes) doesn't make it any more legal. Nine years should be plenty of time to debate this.

[Uncle Ted]

How does this work? Executive order? I thought congress was in charge of making laws.

I was thinking it took more of a constitutional amendment to make a change like this. Apparently we are still at war.

[woot]

Just extending the patriot act (without any changes) doesn't make it any more legal. Nine years should be plenty of time to debate this.

I agree that there's been plenty of time and that the justification isn't entirely believable, but the stated reasoning for extending some of the patriot act for 3 months is to figure out how to keep the basic provisions while allowing them to be constitutional. We'll see whether that pans out.

[il Padrino Ute]

Just when I thought the patriot act was going to finally expire and President Obama was going to keep his campaign promises (restrict warrantless wiretaps and increase oversight on government surveillance) ...

Obama signs temporary extension of Patriot Act (without the approval of congress)

Is anyone really surprised by anything His Highness does? I have to admit that deep down, I like that he's doing these kind of things, as it will bite him in the ass and he will not be re-elected.

[BlueHair]

I was really hoping Obama would give back some of the powers that Bush/Cheney grabbed under false pretenses, but he has done nothing but extend them. Government never gives back what it takes. The two parties might as well just combine because there is no distinguishable difference between them. It's time for a strong third party.

[Uncle Ted]

I was really hoping Obama would give back some of the powers that Bush/Cheney grabbed under false pretenses, but he has done nothing but extend them. Government never gives back what it takes. The two parties might as well just combine because there is no distinguishable difference between them. It's time for a strong third party.

I also had a lot of hope for open/transparent government.

"This country is a one-party country. Half of it is called Republican and half is called Democrat. It doesn't make any difference. All the really good ideas belong to the Libertarians."

[woot]

I was really hoping Obama would give back some of the powers that Bush/Cheney grabbed under false pretenses, but he has done nothing but extend them. Government never gives back what it takes. The two parties might as well just combine because there is no distinguishable difference between them. It's time for a strong third party.

Agreed. I still assume that McCain/Palin would have been worse, but this administration is trying hard to change my opinion on that. At this point I could see myself not voting in 2012, or perhaps even voting for a Republican in the unlikely event that they nominate an actual conservative rather than the usual fundy.

[Uncle Ted]

Agreed. I still assume that McCain/Palin would have been worse, but this administration is trying hard to change my opinion on that. At this point I could see myself not voting in 2012, or perhaps even voting for a Republican in the unlikely event that they nominate an actual conservative rather than the usual fundy.

I very much agree that McCain/Palin would have been just as bad or more likely even worst. I'll most likely be wasting my vote on the libertarian (again) in 2012.

[BlueHair]

I very much agree that McCain/Palin would have been just as bad or more likely even worst. I'll most likely be wasting my vote on the libertarian (again) in 2012.

I waste it almost every time!