Rich writes “The Bill of Rights Defense Committee request that people call their House rep no later than Tuesday, July 6 to support the Sanders-Paul-Conyers-Otter-Nadler Amendment to the Commerce, Justice, State, and Judiciary Appropriation Bill of 2005 which will cut off funds for library and bookstore searches under the USA Patriot Act Section 215. “Passage of this amendment would still allow the FBI to use all constitutionally sanctioned means to obtain warrants and criminal subpoenas to access library and bookstore records pertinent to investigations related to terrorism or criminal acts.” This amendment is similar to the Freedom to Read Protection Act (H.R.1157)
Here’s the full story:
Bordc.org
To contact your House rep:
www.house.gov“
Re: Patriot Act Amendment House Vote
The hate-Ashcroft icon that accompanies Patriot Act items is so stupid and amateurish that I’m just amazed that LISnews expects to be taken seriously while still using it.
Is any discussion of the Patriot Act in this forum to be premised on the idea that Attorney General Ashcroft is a singularly malign figure and that the “Patriot Act is watching”? Come on, Blake, you’re out of high school, aren’t you?
This is all nice and good, but…
Attaching riders to appropriations bills is a tricky business. An appropriations bill still has to get past the Senate, survive conference committee, and then be still around at the final passage vote before it can become enacted. That can be a good bit of time to have to go through.
Could this rider get pruned between now and presidential signature? Yes, it could. At this point this is far from a done deal at all. There are plenty of opportunities for a reversal if the amendment passes.
Re:This is all nice and good, but…
And this rider is pointless. Cut off funding for bookstore and library searches. Come on do they really think this will do any good when the next sentence notes that federal law enforcement will still be able to use all Constitutionally sanctioned methods to get warrants and subpoenae.
Ladies and Gents, the USA PATRIOT Act has not been show to be anything other than Constitutionally sanctioned.
Re:This is all nice and good, but…
I remember another case in which cutting off funding is merely symbolic. NASA under Administrator Daniel S. Goldin did have funds cut off for projects from time to time. Administrator Goldin did not like that. What did he do? He cut other programs, illegally reallocated funds, and kept the programs going anyhow.
What is to stop the FBI using already available accounts reallocation authority to do just that?
Re: Patriot Act Amendment House Vote
“hate-Ashcroft icon”? Whatever do you mean? I see his determined visage looking out at all of us, giving assurance that he is ALERT. Did Janet Reno take action against the bronze-bosomed statues in the DoJ lobby? No! Mr.Ashcroft did! I know that I sleep more easily now with the knowledge that Mr. Ashcroft, symbolized by his image at LISNEWS, protects us from all enemies, foreign and domestic, real and imagined. If he didn’t exist, I’d have to invent him. Now, enjoy the Fourth of July!
Re: Patriot Act Amendment House Vote
Well I feel much better now! However, I’d feel even better if I could figure out how to set this up as a hyperlink: http://www.njagyouth.org/Liberty_.htm Alas, I cannot.
Happy Fourth to you, too!
Re: Patriot Act Amendment House Vote
Did Janet Reno take action against the bronze-bosomed statues in the DoJ lobby? No! Mr.Ashcroft did!
This is exactly the kind of unreasoned, juvenile hostility towards John Ashcroft that is crystalized in Blake’s little demon-icon. Baseless, irrational hatred for Ashcroft is manifestly one of the theoretical grounds for LISNews.
Pointing this out is not “flamebate”; it is the simple truth.
Re: Patriot Act Amendment House Vote – HIS image
What? conservator, you misunderstand! For years my family and I were offended (artistically and morally) by those barebosomed bronze females towering in the lobby of the DoJ. Only John Ashcroft had the vision and courage to have those sculpted sluts covered for the sake of common decency!
“unreasoned, juvenile hostility”? “baseless, irrational hatred”? I’m stunned. Either you completely misunderstood me or (I shudder at the thought).