http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/patriotact/ en-us Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:46:18 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050011/posts In fact, as much as he despised Clinton, Barr thinks President Bush is worse. "What George W. Bush has done to the fabric of our constitutional government, to separation of powers, to a government of limited powers is absolutely unforgivable," he said. That prospect is greatest in Barr's home state of Georgia. Obama is already running ads targeting an untapped pool of African Americans and younger voters. State polls suggest Barr's single-digit following pulls mostly from McCain. "If Barr can win 5 or 6 points of the total vote -- it's an if but it's conceivable -- then Obama could... Los Angeles Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050011/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:46:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2038667/posts Florida banks say they are tired of playing cops, and some congressional leaders agree. The Florida Bankers Association (FBA) issued a statement Thursday in support of 18 members of Congress who signed a letter asking bank regulatory agencies to ease off on their enforcement of bank-related provisions of the Patriot Act and the Bank Secrecy Act. Parts of the two laws require banks to report the suspicious activity of their customers, especially when conducting international business. The FBA's letter said it has seen very little evidence that banks' reports on potential criminal behavior have deterred such activity or led to... Jacksonville Business Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2038667/posts#comment Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:43:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2024878/posts The importance of full disk encryption solutions for laptops and other digital media has been espoused a myriad of times by numerous security vendors like AlertBoot. WeÂ’ve all heard the stories regarding identity theft, and the importance of keeping Social Security Numbers safe. Then there are those unique stories that cause oneÂ’s jaws to slacken. Those unique, imaginative capers that remind me again and again why protecting data is no laughing matter. For example, SSNs could be used to build up your wealth two cents at a time. Wired.com is reporting that a man in California, Michael Largen, did exactly... AlertBoot Endpoint Security http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2024878/posts#comment Mon, 2 Jun 2008 17:53:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2018990/posts A massive government database holding details of every phone call, e-mail and time spent on the internet by the public is being planned as part of the fight against crime and terrorism. Internet service providers (ISPs) and telecoms companies would hand over the records to the Home Office under plans put forward by officials. The information would be held for at least 12 months and the police and security services would be able to access it if given permission from the courts. The proposal will raise further alarm about a “Big Brother” society, as it follows plans for vast databases... Times On Line http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2018990/posts#comment Wed, 21 May 2008 02:38:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2016628/posts HT: TradenCheese This is an excellent commentary by Judge Andrew Napolitano, who appears on FOXNews regularly. Please note the audio is a little lacking but you’ll have little problem hearing the words of truth. I do not know when this was first aired. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvu12z832Xc Repeal the 17th Amendment http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2016628/posts#comment Fri, 16 May 2008 01:23:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2015048/posts The 50 U.S. states are holding more than $32 billion worth of unclaimed property that they're supposed to safeguard for their citizens. But a "Good Morning America" investigation found some states aggressively seize property that isn't really unclaimed and then use the money -- your money -- to balance their budgets. Unclaimed property consists of things like forgotten apartment security deposits, uncashed dividend checks and safe-deposit boxes abandoned when an elderly relative dies. Banks and other businesses are required to turn that property over to the state for safekeeping. The problem is that the states return less than a quarter... ABC News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2015048/posts#comment Tue, 13 May 2008 01:32:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2010888/posts After entering the House of Representatives in 1995, Georgia Republican Bob Barr acquired a reputation as one of the most conservative members of Congress. It was Barr who in 1996 wrote the Defense of Marriage Act, which said states didn't have to recognize gay marriages performed in other states; it was Barr who protested when he learned the military allowed soldiers to practice Wicca. A former federal prosecutor, a firm social conservative, and a strong supporter of the War on Drugs, Barr doesn't fit most people's image of a civil libertarian. But in his eight years in Congress (he failed... Reason Magazine (CA) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2010888/posts#comment Sun, 4 May 2008 01:38:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2009563/posts Americans' civil liberties as established in the Bill of Rights are seriously in danger, says Bob Barr. So much so, he says, that it prompted the Smyrna resident and former member of Congress to consider a bid for president as a Libertarian. "There is one set of issues that ought to be discussed during a presidential campaign - the Bill of Rights, what are our liberties, what are our freedoms and how can we protect these liberties," Barr said in an interview Monday at his office for his consulting firm, Liberty Strategies, near the Cobb Galleria. "I'm interested in working... Marietta Daily Journal (GA) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2009563/posts#comment Thu, 1 May 2008 05:50:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1992419/posts The lawyer for a man accused of being a major cocaine supplier for the Wichita Crips gang contends that a secret search of the man's house under the Patriot Act was illegal.In a recent motion to suppress any evidence from the search, defense lawyer Charles O'Hara argued that the Patriot Act was meant for "serious matters involving national security," not drug cases like the one involving his client, Tyrone Andrews."I thought that this Patriot Act was something passed to protect us all from these terrorist acts, and it would be used very judiciously," O'Hara said Monday. "This doesn't seem to... Wichita Eagle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1992419/posts#comment Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:29:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1989227/posts When Congress passed the Patriot Act in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, law-enforcement agencies hailed it as a powerful tool to help track down the confederates of Osama bin Laden. No one expected it would end up helping to snag the likes of Eliot Spitzer. The odd connection between the antiterror law and Spitzer's trysts with call girls illustrates how laws enacted for one purpose often end up being used very differently once they're on the books. The Patriot Act gave the FBI new powers to snoop on suspected terrorists. In the fine print were provisions that gave the... newsweek.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1989227/posts#comment Fri, 21 Mar 2008 04:24:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1988465/posts House Democrats left Washington for their second break since letting the Protect America Act expire on February 16th. There is a bipartisan majority ready to pass the Senate’s terrorist surveillance bill, but House Democrats chose to leave for two weeks without bringing it to a vote. We need a permanent terrorist surveillance law that 1) gives our intelligence agencies the tools they need to keep us safe and 2) protects patriotic American companies who helped the government prevent further terrorist attacks. And we need it now. Anything less is unacceptable. How can you help hold Democrats accountable for leaving Washington... The Freedom Project http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1988465/posts#comment Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:08:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1984679/posts This is the latest canard making the rounds — I heard a radio talk-show guy say it this morning, and one of the endless stream of former federal prosecutors suggested it on MSNBC last night (I had switched channels following Jeffrey Toobin's botched explanation of the money-laundering offense known as "structuring" — the cash transaction amount that triggers the reporting requirement is $10K, not, as Toobin stated, $5K.) Currency transaction reporting requirements were enacted in the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, and money laundering was made a crime in overhaul of the federal narcotics laws that took place in 1986.... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1984679/posts#comment Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:27:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1979820/posts This is a report to share with fellow FReepers concerning the Patriot Act. Has anyone heard the name Randy Dees? Randy came to my attention, just recently, via information from a family member, who has known Randy (played music with him) approximately fifteen plus years ago. My family member informed me, one thinks there is nothing that can happen to them under the Patriot Act, but now there is the fate of Randy. My family member thought the Patriot Act was written to protect Americans from terrorists. Now, by the actions taken against Randy, my family member can only shake... vanity http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1979820/posts#comment Mon, 3 Mar 2008 22:39:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1978980/posts Poor lefties. They ride into Congress in 2006 with the glee of having vanquished the big bad ole’ Republicans. They rub their hands in anticipation that two of the bestest lefties they have, now leading their respective Houses, will run from Iraq, roll back all the legislation intended to secure this country, and “drain the swamp.” Remember….their slim majority was suddenly a “mandate.”But what happened? The Patriot Act is still around and working well. We still have troops in Iraq, and hell, we sent even more in for The Surge. And now the Protect America enhancements to FISA are about... Flopping Aces http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1978980/posts#comment Sat, 1 Mar 2008 23:59:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1974741/posts The Bush administration informed Congress on Friday that the government has "lost intelligence" because of the expiration of surveillance legislation caught in a political tug of war. "We have lost intelligence information this past week as a direct result of the uncertainty created by Congress' failure to act," says an underlined passage of a six-page letter signed by Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey and Director of National Intelligence J. Michael McConnell. Politico http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1974741/posts#comment Fri, 22 Feb 2008 22:50:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1971223/posts “House leaders blocked a good piece of legislation that would give our intelligence community the tools they need to protect America from a terrorist attack. … And so now the House and Senate are off on a 12-day recess without getting the people's business done. And when they come back from that 12-day recess, the House leaders must understand that the decision they made to block good legislation has made it harder for us to protect you, the American people …” ~ President Bush “… the Protect America Act has helped us obtain valuable insight on terrorist activities and it... WhiteHouse.gov & other sources http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1971223/posts#comment Sat, 16 Feb 2008 01:27:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1968419/posts The revelation that the New England Patriots secretly videotaped the New York Giants, to decipher hand signals and review practice sessions, should leave a sour taste in the mouth of all sports fans. The football gods decided that the just punishment for the Patriots was to have the Giants upset them by scoring late into the fourth quarter leaving them no time to recover. Las Vegas casinos and sports bookies couldn’t be happier. The Patriots’ Super Bowl loss comes after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell fined the team’s head coach $500,000, the Patriots organization $250,000 and took away one of the... North Star Writers Group http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1968419/posts#comment Mon, 11 Feb 2008 13:20:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1959026/posts New Haven, Conn. (AP) -- A federal judge rejected a former sailor's claim Thursday that the government illegally intercepted phone calls and obtained e-mails it is using against him in a terrorism-support case. Hassan Abu-Jihaad's attorneys had claimed elements of the USA Patriot Act used to obtain the evidence were unconstitutional, and cited a ruling by a federal judge in Oregon striking down key portions of the law. U.S. District Court Judge Mark Kravitz, however, said he disagreed with that ruling, and noted that other courts have found that the law does not infringe on constitutional rights. Authorities allege that... AP via SFGate http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1959026/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:04:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1958036/posts Pardons for this vanity, but I thought this would be the best place to ask for help. I will be doing an essay on the Patriot Act for school. I chose the topic and need to do research, get many sources, present both sides, and make a convincing argument for my side (pro). No, I'm not asking anyone to do this for me. But if you have any sources, advice, anything, it'd be much appreciated. The paper itself is not due till the middle of April, but I want to get started in plenty of time and we have various... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1958036/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jan 2008 05:00:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1942529/posts NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge on Thursday upheld a government decision to refuse a prominent Swiss Muslim entry into the United States, saying the question of denying visas was best left to the authorities. The United States had revoked the visa of Tariq Ramadan, an academic at Britain's Oxford University and a vocal critic of the U.S. invasion of Iraq and its support of Israel. The State Department initially gave no reason, but later said Ramadan had been barred under a provision of the USA Patriot Act that bars anyone who endorses terrorism. In October the American... Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1942529/posts#comment Thu, 20 Dec 2007 23:50:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1937967/posts LOS ANGELES -- A federal appeals court ruled that some portions of the U.S. Patriot Act dealing with foreign terrorist organizations are unconstitutional because the language is too vague to be understood by a person of average intelligence. The ruling released Monday by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco affirms a 2005 decision by U.S. District Judge Audrey Collins, who ruled on a petition seeking to clear the way for U.S. groups and individuals to assist political organizations in Turkey and Sri Lanka. Collins said language in the Patriot Act was vague on matters involving training,... Newsmax http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1937967/posts#comment Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:22:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1931980/posts SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Increasingly worried over Internet providers' behavior, a nonprofit has released software that helps determine whether online glitches are innocent hiccups or evidence of deliberate traffic tampering. The San Francisco-based digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation hopes the program, released Wednesday, will help uncover "data discrimination" - efforts by Internet providers to disrupt some uses of their services - in addition to the cases reported separately by EFF, The Associated Press and other sources. "People have all sorts of problems, and they don't know whether to attribute that to some sort of misconfiguration, or deliberate behavior... Excite news http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1931980/posts#comment Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:34:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1927934/posts Judge Andrew Napolitano is one of American media’s most tenacious defenders of Americans' rights. His official title at Fox News, where he appears regularly on Fox and Friends and The Big Story, is “Senior Judicial Analyst.” But at the often Bush-besotted network, the decidedly skeptical Napolitano thinks of himself more as “House Civil Libertarian.” He’s the youngest life-tenured Superior Court judge in New Jersey history, and a former teacher of constitutional law at Seton Hall Law School. He also writes books alerting Americans to how their own government threatens their liberties, including The Constitution in Exile and Constitutional Chaos: What... Reason Magazine http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1927934/posts#comment Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:21:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1926980/posts A federal appeals court in San Francisco today handed a major victory to the Bush administration, ruling that a lawsuit challenging the government's warrantless wiretapping program could not go forward because of the "state secrets" privilege. In a 3-0 decision, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the government, which had argued that allowing an Islamic charity's claims that it was illegally spied upon to go forward would threaten national security. In the opinion, Judge M. Margaret McKeown flatly rejected the government's argument that "the very subject matter of the litigation is a state secret." However, after reviewing... Los Angeles Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1926980/posts#comment Sat, 17 Nov 2007 00:40:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1911559/posts When Osama bin Laden issued his videotaped message to the American people last month, a young jihad enthusiast went online to help spread the word."America needs to listen to Shaykh Usaamah very carefully and take his message with great seriousness," he wrote on his blog. "America is known to be a people of arrogance." Unlike bin Laden, the blogger was not operating from a remote location. It turns out he is a 21-year-old American named Samir Khan who produces his blog from his parents' home in North Carolina, where he serves as a kind of Western relay station for the... News & Observer http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1911559/posts#comment Mon, 15 Oct 2007 20:04:59 GMT