Jon Tester to Vote "No" on PATRIOT Act Renewal

Senator Jon Tester (D-Montana) just announced on the Senate floor that he's going to vote against renewing the PATRIOT Act for four years unless Fourth Amendment-violating aspects of the law are changed. He called the act "bad policy that has put on us a very slippery slope," and unless its changed, said he'll vote against renewal "in the name of freedom and privacy."

Watch the rest of the Senate's Democrats defend the PATRIOT Act in all its glory on CSPAN.

Bonus: Sen. Arlen Specter just said he supports a "permanent extension" and the "permanent reauthorization" of the three most contested provisions of the act.  

Bonus II: Sen. Rand Paul: "If you don't protect the entire Bill of Rights, you're not going to have any of it." And a good reality-based line: "We have so much audio that they cannot even listen to it all…My point is that we're eavesdropping on so many people that we're missing stuff." 

Bonus III: I asked Julian Sanchez, who's done great investigative work on the PATRIOT Act both here and at Cato, what the odds are that the act won't be renewed. His response: "They'll let these provisions lapse right after they pass the Puppy Strangulation Act of 2011. Nobody wants to be accused of 'weakening' Patriot if another attack happens, even though there's little evidence added safeguards would seriously hamper intel gathering."

Reason on the PATRIOT Act: Heather Mac Donald and Julian Sanchez discuss government power in the War On Terror, and Julian Sanchez on "the notion that civil-libertarian concerns about the PATRIOT Act have been much ado about nothing" and why Congress should not renew the PATRIOT Act's "lone wolf" provision. Also: Dave Weigel in 2005 on how "standing up to the PATRIOT Act can be good politics."

Comments

[Rich]

Rand Paul is speaking now.

[Mongo]

Anything with the moniker "PATRIOT Act" is a bad idea.

[Congress]

Could we perhaps interest you in a USA PATRIOT Act, then?

[West Texas]

Arlen Specter? Is he opining from his couch these days?

[Tulpa]

Yeah, I was checking the date on this post. Thought maybe the past year was a dream and I'd find that Filipina midget in the shower.

[John Thacker]

How do you lose a Filipina midget in your shower for a whole year?

[STEVE SMITH]

SIMPLE... NOT HAVE SHOWER!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

He's opining from UPenn Law, where he's teaching a course on the separation of powers and the judicial confirmation process.

STOP LAUGHING, DAMMIT!!!

[Episiarch]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Oh, sorry, dude. I couldn't help it.

[Realist]

Hey what ever happened to Arlen's brother Phil???

[ola]

Arlen Specter?

[Mike M.]

Yeah, who the hell cares what he thinks about anything anymore?

[Jesus Obama]

"If you don't protect the entire Bill of Rights, you're not going to have any of it."

Verily, verily, I say unto thee: "That's not a bug, it's a feature."

[Joe M]

Julian Sanchez? Damn, knock the dust off those articles.

[P Brooks]

Good work, Tester.

[Tulpa]

As one of the 2006 Red State Dems, he probably realizes he has no chance at being reelected without bogeyman Bush in the White House.

[Pro Libertate]

Wait. Didn't we kill bin Laden? War's over! Time to go back to normal!

[capitol l]

And we never would have gotten him if you had been allowed to flush that pot down the toilet.

[Jim]

+1

[John Thacker]

Note that Rand Paul is teaming up with Leahy to offer an amendment to weaken these provisions being extended. Feel free to take this pragmatism and being willing to work with other Senators as a sign of selling out, of course, since he's actually willing to go for a minor win after unsuccessfully speaking for a bigger win.

[Jim]

If it's moving liberty in the correct direction from where it stands now, I wouldn't consider it a "sell-out". Jerks like Leahy should be encouraged anytime they have so much as a glimmer of a decent thought.

[HERCULE TRIATHLON SAVINIEN]

SEPTEMBER [UN] VOTE- the Emperor has no cloth's

Now, the Emperor of the American ? Israeli Military Industrial Complex ? the [EMPIRE] has stated that in September he will have his Realm vote against the recognition of the Palestrina Authority as a new independent nation and member of the [UN] United Nations. The Emperor is basing his belief on the idea that his representatives [1] one vote on the [UN] Security will over ride the vote to accept a new member as voted by the entire General Assembly, that in fact make the Empire a one world government, the Emperor's vote over rides the majority, of at least [150] Aye votes for recognition, as it is only a Symbolic Vote and would not mean anything according to the Emperor, or does it?

HERCULE TRIATHLON SAVININEN

[Jim]

+1

[Newton]

HERC!! HERC!!

[Pro Libertate]

Okay, let me see if I get this. In September, the U.S. becomes boss of the world? Under an emperor? Does that mean titles? Because if it does, I want the Duchy of Florida. And some imperial cloths, to polish my swords.

[Spartacus]

I will be content with being Count of the Keys. Remember me when you get the title. I will do homage.

[Chumbawamba]

I am Chumbawamba.

[P Brooks]

he probably realizes he has no chance at being reelected without bogeyman Bush in the White House.

Umm, what?

[John Thacker]

Yeah, I don't really get the logic either. Unless he's saying that voting against the PATRIOT Act extensions is bad politics and unpopular with the public, so Sen. Tester's only willing to do so because he's going to lose anyway. I don't think I buy that explanation, though.

Still, if voting against the PATRIOT Act is a popular thing, you'd expect more Senators to be doing it. Maybe not the Dems, because of Administration loyalty, but this obviously proves that the Reps won't vote against something just because Obama supports it.

74-8.

[Tulpa]

Most people don't even know it wasn't a permanent law from the beginning. The first they'll hear of it is when they get the mailings next year accusing those who vote against the extension of "favoring terrorists".

[HERCULE TRIATHLON SAVINIEN]

Pro Libertate|5.23.11 @ 5:37PM|#

[TRIATHLON REPLYS]

When the Map of North America DOES CHANGE, there will me Monarchys, but [FL] Florida will not be among them, as it will be Annexed by the [GCPR] Greater Carribean People's Republic under Chancellor MARCO RUBIO, among other issues such as what we have in Africa [ZIMBABWE] with skulls spears and socks.

HERCULE TRIATHLON SAVINIEN

[Pro Libertate]

Hey, thanks for the quick reply. I voted for Rubio, so maybe that will get me at least a knighthood and some land.

[John Thacker]

Can you supply your own horse? I'm pretty sure you can't be a knight without that.

[Pro Libertate]

I have the means to acquire one.

[wylie]

Quiet shoes and sugarcubes.....I've said too much.

[HERCULE TRIATHLON SAVINIEN]

SEPTEMBER [UN] VOTE- "I'll drink to that"

[The Symbolic Vote]

Now, the Emperor of the American ? Israeli Military Industrial Complex ? the [EMPIRE] has stated that in September he will have his Realm vote against the recognition of the Palestrina Authority as a new independent nation and member of the [UN] United Nations. The Emperor is basing his belief on the idea that his representatives [1] one vote on the [UN] Security Council will over ride the vote to accept a new member as voted by the entire General Assembly, that in fact make's the Empire a one world government, the Emperor's vote over rides the majority, of at least [150] Aye votes for recognition, as it is only a Symbolic Vote and would not mean anything according to the Emperor, or does it? The old saying goes lead, follow or get out of the way many are saying that in fact the Emperor has chosen another choice, be the lap dog to his master [BIBI] The Gift from God and former Chicago Republican, Binyamin/Benjamin Netanyahu Prime Minister of Israel, just curdled, up in a ball to be fed campaign money by [AIPAC/AZC] the American Israeli Political Action Committee / American Zionist Committee, as a treat for being such a good boy.

[What ever Bibi wants Bibi gets]

So what is the Emperors idea, well of course what was not good and evil for the former Union of South Africa, Apartheid is now the vogue of the Pure Jewish State, what was once out of style is now back in style which somehow has been the traditions of all style. Basically its what ever BiBi wants BiBi wants Bibi Gets, and little Emperor Bibi wants it all, a Pure Jewish State, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, the Nile to the Euphrates, made up of only those of Pure Jewish Blood, a state of Pure Theocratic Zionism, not a Democratic State, wagging the dog the American Corporation Plutocracy of Hypocrisy, which is creating a Nuclear Choke Chain Necklace of Pearls running from [Foothold Germany] to [Foothold Okinawa]. The [EMPIRE] no longer can nor should be seen as anything but a threat seeking world domination, by the positioning of forward military installations with advanced military technology in such a way as to extort control by threat of overwhelming military force, [WMD] Weapons of Mass Destruction.

[I'll drink to that"]

Now the Irish are a hot tempered, hard headed bunch and if the [IRA] Irish Republican Army were involved there would not be one fine stone standing upon another, more often than not. And here George Mitchell was able to bring about a Peace Accord between the English and the Mc's, and you can bet he must have run thru a lot of Irish whiskey me thinks, but when it came to the Pure Jewish State, the Quite Man, threw in the towel, "I Quit", take this job and shove it, I ain't working here no more. And, now the [EMPIRE] and its Emperor are stumbling over the same old worn out stones in the road, leading into the same old road blocks, following the same directions posted by the same organization [AIPAC/AZC], what is that? We don't think there is enough [JD] Jack Daniels ever been brewed to entice anyone take the job again, well, then again maybe, that [JD], sitting down to accomplish nothing more than just tipping the bottle to another "I'll drink to that", a break in the meetings a lot of them, but we just sat down, 'I'll drink to that", would make for a [JD] day. This thing has turned into the longest brawl in history, but we don't expect any real memorable reconciliations, and "I'll Drink to That."

HERCULE TRIATHLON SAVINIEN

[Max]

Racist Rand Paul is such a fucking cock, I hate him.

TOo much audio? then hire more people to listen.

[seventy-eight]

I love lamp!

[Mr. FIFY]

Max has taught us two things:

1. He doesn't have a dictionary, thus his pathetic usage of the word "racist"

2. He is in favor of the PATRIOT Act.

[P Brooks]

I can say with confidence that since the Patriot Act was enacted, these provisions have been scrutinized to the fullest extent of the law, have been the subject of many committee and subcommittee hearings, and have never been held unconstitutional. Additionally, no civil liberties have ever been violated.

James Sensenbrenner

See?

Nothing to worry about, you hysterical peasants!

[mad libertarian guy]

This dude is seriously dumb enough to think that us rubes will actually buy that shit?

The cognitive dissonance is strong in our betters.

[anarchy dave]

Arlen Specter's opinion is as relevant as Anne Frank's at this point. Dead. Gone. Poof.

[converse en france]

9 officers one night, 5 officers another night, 11 officers another night, etc. One night, an FBI agent came out. Another night, a SWAT team was there. And that's just in a two-month window.