Gaming the Unpatriot Act

In a week in which more evidence was revealed that the Bush administration has violated civil liberties and encouraged secret spying on thousands of Americans, Republicans tried to push through an extension of the Patriot Act which extended or made permanent anti-privacy and anti-First Amendment provisions, by threatening to let the entire act run out unless Democrats and others opposed to some provisions ceased trying to change it. Their bluff was called, and so far they've lost.

(Reuters) - A group of U.S. senators, demanding increased protection of civil liberties, defied President Bush on Friday by blocking renewal of the USA Patriot Act, a centerpiece of his war on terrorism.

A procedural move to cut off debate and call a vote on the issue fell eight votes short of the 60 votes needed, with a handful of Republicans joining most Democrats to oppose it. The vote was 52-47.

Fifty Republicans and two Democrats voted to end debate on the renewal legislation; five Republicans, one independent and 41 Democrats blocked it with a procedural hurdle.
Approved earlier this week by the House of Representatives, the legislation would make permanent 14 anti-terrorism provisions set to expire on December 31, and extend for four years three others.

But with complaints by some conservatives as well as liberals, House and Senate negotiators agreed in a recent conference report to increase the protection of the civil liberties of law-abiding Americans.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said, "In my view, and in the view of many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, the conference report still does not contain enough checks on the expanded powers."