I was never a fan of the Patriot Act simply because it trashes the Constitution - totally and completely. Some measures are needed such as tightening borders, Imigration control (NOT opening the borders and "giving" green cards to several million illegals), securing not blockading ports, etc. Cudo's to the cheese head!!
Mudrat
Dear A-Letter Reader:
I don't know a lot about three-term US Senator Russ Feingold, a usually
liberal Democrat from the State of Wisconsin. As a conservative, his
pro big government voting record doesn't appeal to me, but he has a
reputation as a maverick, and that I like.
Now it seems Feingold may decide to run for US president. (Anybody
but Hillary!) And pundits are quick to bring up as a problem what I
consider to be his finest hour; his lonely vote, the only one in the US
Senate, against the PATRIOT Act, back in the near political hysteria
that followed September 11, 2001.
That 2001 vote was supposed to spell his political doom. Instead, it
marked Feingold as a most courageous and consistent defender of the
Bill of Rights. No other US senator had the guts to vote no, and along
with US Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and a few others, he has continued
to call for reform of this monstrously unconstitutional law. (I say
repeal the damnable mess).
President Bush wants Congress to make permanent all 15 provisions
of the law that expire at the end of 2005, most of which are nothing
less than attacks on the Bill of Rights. Small wonder liberals and
conservatives have united in asking that the Constitution be restored.
Meanwhile Bush & friends keep stiff arming requests for information
about how the Act has been enforced; how may wiretaps? How many
medical and library records have been rifled through? That 'excessive
secrecy' hurts, some say, the effort to renew the sunseted provisions.
If you care about America, please keep an eye on what the Congress
does on extending or amending the PATRIOT Act. This is your chance
to make Congress know that we care about freedom. Yet 'the word'
on Capitol Hill is that the Act may not only be extended, but made
permanent. There is an alternative, check out the SAFE Act below.
Edmund Burke, one of my favorite members of the British House of
Commons, said it centuries ago, and it still holds true: 'All that
is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.'
That's the way it looks from here.
Bob Bauman, Editor
I agree with Bauman's statements.
Note this post has been monitored by government sources.