HOMELAND INSECURITY

Despite the House voting this week to renew 14 of 16 provisions to the USA Patriot Act (set to expire) by a vote of 251-174, the provisions appear doomed as the Senate dropped the ball by not being able to overcome a filibuster by the Democrats.

A provision sponsored by Arlen Specter that "would have given the Secret Service broader authority to charge protestors who disrupt major events like political conventions and sporting events, including the Olympics", rankled the ACLU.

The bill was designed to prevent people from "willfully and knowingly" entering a restricted area "where the President or other person protected by the Secret Service is or will be temporarily visiting" and includes gatherings "designated as a special event of national significance." Senator Arlen Specter didn't think there was any reason to believe that the new directive would have infringed on civil rights.

In fact, "there have been no verified civil-liberties abuses in the four years of the act's existence." Additionally, the new bill would have added 30 new safeguards in an effort to protect privacy and civil liberties.

Thanks to the Senate, many of these provisions, will now expire on 1 January 2006. We will now go back to a "pre 9/11" footing, which will prevent us from having better information sharing and coordination in the government - a coordination that we enjoyed post 9/11 - but did not have before 9/11. This coordination is vital in our endeavor to prevent more attacks in the U.S.

"The 9/11 Commission drew a distinct line from the lack of cooperation between the FBI and the CIA to the attacks of September 11, 2001." It would be insane for us to return to that pre-9/11 mindset.

Well, the Senate just proved how insane "they" are. The "wall" that was in place prior to 9/11, that did not allow information sharing between the CIA and the FBI, and that was roundly criticized by the 9/11 Commission, and was taken down, has now been reconstructed.

Have the morons forgotten that the building they work in was one of the targets of the 9/11 commandeering, murderous, jihadist thugs? Don't they know that one of the central roles of the Federal government is the protection and welfare of its citizens?

Elitist morons all. Enough of the politics! They should all be impeached. Let's start over. I want a mulligan - no check that - 100 mulligans. Like a damn Etch-a-Sketch board. Let's shake the hell out of it. Wipe it clean. Start from scratch. 'Ta hell wid' 'em!