Ashcroft thinks Patriot Act will stand

Mercury News ^ | 1/29/04 | Curt Anderson - AP

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration issued a veto threat Thursday against legislation introduced in Congress that would scale back key parts of the anti-terrorism Patriot Act.

In a letter to Senate leaders, Attorney General John Ashcroft said the changes contemplated by the Security and Freedom Ensured Act, or SAFE, would "undermine our ongoing campaign to detect and prevent catastrophic terrorist attacks."

[billbears]

If the bill reaches President Bush's desk in its current form, Ashcroft said, "the president's senior advisers will recommend that it be vetoed."

It's becoming quite evident that:

A)the President's 'advisors' could give a dern less about the Constitution or the citizens of the respective states if it gets in the way of their power trip and
B)they're no more conservative than the man they're 'advising'

[Richard-SIA]

Yep, so very similar to the NFA-34 act, the belief that we need a "license" in order to drive, the Fed. income tax, the death tax........

Incremental erosion of liberty, how to destroy a republic!

[LN2Campy]

The actual application of the act is irrelevant -- just because someone has a loaded weapon pointed at your head "but hasn't fired YET" is no reason to feel at ease.

The PA, pure and simple, is a whittling away of constitutional protections...the FBI being allowed to have a "free look" into your home without your knowledge and without a warrant is just one example.

The PA is a governmental power grab. As another poster mentioned, our borders are like Swiss cheese yet the Depts of Homeland Security and Justice feel no need to address that. That in itself gives the lie to the motivation behind the PA.

[freeeee]

the war against terror is won

An essential condition. Name the theoretical conditions for a declared victory in the WoT.

I submit that there are none. The WoT is the typical 'perpetual war' described in '1984': Low intensity conflict at home, shifting opponents, infiltrators and sabateurs under every stone. It's got it all.

Measures within the PA deemed appropriate for continued law enforcement and national security are kept

The PA is going to expire, but they're going to keep parts???

You have an odd notion of 'expire'.

[azhenfud]

I'm weighing closely which would be better; 1) an unimpeded administration whose every action is to enlarge government beyond its necessary measure and to destroy an entire segment of society, or 2) a political quagmire where the status is quo, where politicians can do nothing but quibble, and where absolutely nothing of significance gets done.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Since I haven't the time or inclination to currently address the concerns raised, I refer the right honorable FREEPer to the aforementioned threads. :)

[Recovering_Democrat]

All of this has been previously addressed. See my post #26.

[freeeee]

Do you have a link?

[Oztrich Boy]

According to Ashcroft, you were right the first time

[A. Pole]

If the Patriot Act was meant to "prevent catastrophic terrorist attacks," then why is the Patriot Act used to investigate and prosecute strip joint owners?

For the same reason why RICO meant to fight organised crime is being used agaist pro-life activists.

"People who are willing to give up freedom for the sake of short term security, deserve neither freedom nor security." -Benjamin Franklin

[A. Pole]

It is far more devastating to the foundations of America than the murder of a few thousand citizens and the destruction of a few buildings.

Few more buildings, few thousand more deaths and freedom is gone.

[A. Pole]

Touching a woman's breast might be immoral, even sinful, but it's not a terrorist activity

So protesting abortion does not equal mafia activity (RICO).

[u-89]

>Few more buildings, few thousand more deaths and freedom is gone.

True freedom went down for the count when property and income taxes became accepted facts of life. It's been downhill ever since. But your point is valid. That would be the final nails in the coffin.

[Richard-SIA]

....at which point the terrorist will have won!