Republicans in the House are expected to quietly pass legislation today to extend some of the most controversial provisions of the PATRIOT Act through the end of the year. Those provisions include allowing investigators to look at an individual's library records, to wiretap their phone, and to conduct surveillance on them. The White House - and Democratic and Republican leadership in Congress are trying to figure out a way to extend these provisions through the end of 2013 - but for those of us who are uncomfortable with the clear overreaches of power and destruction of civil liberties - we just may have a new ally to derail long-term extensions...the Tea Party.
Many new Republican Members of Congress have signaled they will be not support permanent extension of the PATRIOT Act - citing what they call intrusion from big government. And they're right - the PATRIOT Act is an instrument of control created by Neo-Conservatives in the wake of September 11th. In the last two years - there's been a lot of talk about government tyranny - mostly in regard to healthcare and taxes. But there's been little talk about ACTUAL tyranny - the PATRIOT Act.
When it comes to taking on our military-industrial-security complex - it looks like common ground between progressives and the Tea Party may be found after all.
-Thom
(Do you think some good will come of this? Tell us here.)
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