We Won One ---- But Lost Much

Thanks to the Senators who decided to stand up to the Dictator King named George we get word from The Washington Post that the Republican leaders in the Senate were unable to garner enough votes to stop a Democratic filibuster (60 votes) and invoke cloture and cause a vote to extend the USA Patriot Act for another four years The Democratic-led filibuster drew enough Republican support to keep the president's allies from gaining the 60 votes needed to end debate in the 100-member chamber. The 52-47 vote will require the White House and congressional leaders to seek another way to deal with the scheduled Dec. 31 expiration of key aspects of the law. Then came word from The New York Times, that the Dictator King had usurped the law and issued an executive order allowing the eavesdropping and spying on American citizens and foreign nationals in the United States not just once or twice following the 9-11 terror attack, but continually for the last 3 years Months after the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush secretly authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on Americans and others inside the United States to search for evidence of terrorist activity without the court-approved warrants ordinarily required for domestic spying, according to government officials. Isn't that just great. This illegal occupant in the White House says to hell with what the law says we'll do it my way. Is there nothing that the Bush Crime Family doesn't feel it's their anointed right to do? The constant trampling on civil rights and privacy by this administration should raise a hue and cry from Americans who value those rights, and remember all too well how another President by the name of Nixon brought the country to the crisis point by also engaging in domestic spying. Here is a transcript from CNN's "Situation Room" where Jack Cafferty sums it up best You know that Jack Cafferty wants to weigh in on this story. And Jack is joining us now live from New York with more. What do you think, Jack? JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, good afternoon. Who cares about whether the Patriot Act gets renewed? Want to abuse our civil liberties? Just do it. Who cares about the Geneva Conventions. Want to torture prisoners? Just do it. Who cares about rules concerning the identity of CIA agents. Want to reveal the name of a covert operative? Just do it. Who cares about whether the intelligence concerning WMDS is accurate. Want to invade Iraq? Just do it. Who cares about qualifications to serve on the nation's highest court. Want to nominate a personal friend with no qualifications? Just do it. And the latest outrage, which I read about in "The New York Times" this morning, who cares about needing a court order to eavesdrop on American citizens. Want to wiretap their phone conversations? Just do it. What a joke. A very cruel, very sad joke. I would lay odds for sure that this revelation contributed to the extension of the Patriot Act failing but that is a minor victory in my estimation. This criminal in the White House did what he has always done his entire privledged life. Take what he wants and to hell with who gets hurt or what civil liberties get trampled on along the way in their march toward fascism. And if he is dare questioned on his actions, you are summarily labeled unpatriotic. If the US Congress had any sense of decency they would demand impeachment hearings immediately against this tyrant. Unfortunately the majority are just as evil and crooked as he is. So that leaves it up to the citizenry to demand of their Senator and Congressperson an immediate investigation and settle for nothing less.