Something we can all agree on

"Killed?" That's an overstatement. It'll rise again.

"Feingold, Craig and other critics said those efforts [to add new safeguards] weren't enough, and have called for the law to be extended in its present form so they can continue to try and add more civil liberties safeguards. But Bush, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and House Speaker Dennis Hastert have said they won't accept a short-term extension of the law.

"If a compromise is not reached, the 16 Patriot Act provisions expire on December 31."

--
 Thanks,
    - Win

Not the whole act, regrettably... Just some portions of it that were particularly nasty.

Still, it is most definitely good news. ;-)

Keep the peace(es).

--
Dr. Anton T. Squeegee, Director, Dutch Surrealist Plumbing Institute.
(Known to some as Bruce Lane, ARS KC7GR, 

Keep the piece ;-)

...Jim Thompson

--
|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |

It appears I was a little hasty. I see by CNN today that W has decided he can authorize wiretaps without all that messy warrant business, that he can keep the process a secret, and that he can complain that it "damages our national security" to disagree with him about it.

So who needs the Patriot Act, anyway?

Anybody who makes an international telephone call should assume that lots of people in lots of countries are listening in.

Besides, Congress knew about it.

Personally, I don't understand all this shrieking about "privacy." I'd rather a small risk of my phone calls being overheard than a small risk of being blown to bits.

John

Thank GAWD!!!!!!!!!

Thanks, RIch

Turns out the New York Times has known about this for about a year, but timed their "discovery" to coincide with James Risen's book release. And members of Congress have been briefed all along; hell, W should name the names. And they are all shocked, shocked.

Journalism this ain't. The NYT may wind up killing people to sell some books... may as well, as they have no integrity left to defend.

Seems to me that staying alive is a civil liberty, too. Privacy isn't too important to dead people.

John

[snip] [snip]

John, You done gone and spoilt it for all the weenies that want to act shocked ;-)

...Jim Thompson

--
|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |

he

can

It's not the listening to phone calls that is the problem, but doing it without a warrant, especially since a secure method exists to get the warrants. There is also a law against it (warrantless wiretaps on US soil), inspired by previous Presidents' misbehaviors.

So now that W has admitted committing a crime, and has confirmed that he will do it again, when do the impeachment hearings start?

Don't be silly. Members of Congress of both parties were briefed on what was going on. And these same people are going to vote to impeach him? And, during those hearings, reveal who leaked?

I suspect not.

John

So you don't deny that it's a crime?

Tapping international phone calls to try to keep Americans from being killed? Do you think that's a crime?

I don't, and there's a couple thousand years of legal precedence that says it's not.

John

Well, start talking electronics and distract us.

John

message

he

IANAL, but here's the law: 50 USC Chapter 36, sections 1801-1811. Ignorance in the age of google is inexcusable.

Here's a good starting point:

The penalties in the final sections are interesting: $10,000, 5 years, and the possibility of civil penalties of at least $100/day to each offended "United States person", which I believe means citizens, associations, and corporations.

Are you calling me a "leftist"? On what basis?

And what does that mean to you?

message

he

Tapping international phone calls, when knowledge of the contents might save American laws and property, is a powerful tool of our technology. There is even a law and a special court set up to authorize things like that.

W apparently decided he doesn't need them. Or his handlers told him he doesn't need them.

A couple thousand years of wiretapping?

I haven't tried it, but it might be this simple:

+12 -----------------------+ | [FAN] aircon 0-5 v ---+ | | | / | \\ /c 500 /

Oh, c'mon! It isn't as if he is getting a blow-job from a porky intern. Whats the harm in a few wiretaps? Are you hiding something? Eh? Expect the gestapo next time you post any of your 'weenie' liberal crap...

After all, they have shown they are willing to destroy a country to save it. It looks like they feel the same way about democracy.

--
Regards,
  Bob Monsen

...I tell ya!

Hell, have you seen the circulation numbers? They (and most other rags) have no readers left either. Figure that?

Oh crap, now we're going to hear some out-of-context quote from B.Franklin.

--
  Keith

Of course it's not a crime. Good grief you leftists are limp-wristed.

--
  Keith