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Bush warns of dangers in terrorism law delay
21 Dec 2005 17:56:49 GMT

Source: Reuters

(Adds Gonzales, Chertoff, details)

By Adam Entous

WASHINGTON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Brushing aside criticism of their aggressive tactics in the war on terrorism, President George W. Bush and top officials accused Senate Democrats on Wednesday of putting the United States at risk by blocking the reauthorization of key anti-terrorism legislation.

Democrats countered that Bush and the Republican leadership in the Senate were to blame for refusing to temporarily extend the Patriot Act provisions in order to give lawmakers more time to negotiate a compromise to better protect civil liberties.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, said: "What is wrong is for the White House to manipulate this into a partisan fight for its partisan political advantage."

With the legislation in limbo as Patriot Act provisions are set to expire on Dec. 31, Bush came before cameras to accuse senators of endangering America by blocking a law vital to the fight "against brutal killers."

Bush, however, made no mention of the four senators in his Republican Party -- Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Larry Craig of Idaho, John Sununu of New Hampshire and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska -- who joined most Democrats last week in blocking the bill.

"This obstruction is inexcusable," he said of Senate Democrats, who are using a procedural maneuver known as a filibuster to block renewal of provisions of the Patriot Act, a centerpiece of Bush's response to the Sept. 11 attacks.

Bush singled out Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada for attack, saying he recently "boasted about killing the Patriot Act."

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff also issued dire warnings.
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"If the impasse continues when Americans wake up on January 1, We will not be as safe," Gonzales told reporters at the Justice Department. Chertoff agreed: "Were going to wake up on January 1 and we will have left some of the most important weapons against terror in the cupboard, unavailable to be used by our front line defenders. .
(If they want there Patriot act why dont bush extended for 3 months like the democrats want, but no bush wants is to be permanent)


DOMESTIC SPYING

The battle comes as Democrats and Republicans seek congressional hearings into Bush's decision to order spying without warrants on Americans suspected of having ties to terrorists.

The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that federal judge James Robertson resigned from the court that oversees government surveillance in intelligence cases in protest of Bush's authorization of the domestic spying program.

Gonzales said he did not know why Robertson resigned from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that oversees government surveillance. "I don't know the reason. I'm not going to speculate why a judge would step down from the FISA court," he said.

Despite Bush's call for ending the Patriot Act filibuster, his Republican allies in the Senate appeared ready to let key provisions of the law expire on Dec. 31, as scheduled.

With time running out, 52 of the 100 members of the Republican-led Senate sent a leader to Majority Leader Bill Frist on Wednesday, urging him to allow a vote on a temporary extension. Signers included eight Republicans, one independent and 43 Democrats.

But Frist rejected the request and stuck to his position that a Democratic-led filibuster should end so the Senate could approve the House-passed legislation.

The provisions up for renewal include ones involving wiretaps, access to library and business records and information-sharing by law enforcement and intelligence authorities.

The Senate could take another crack at renewing the provisions as soon as Congress begins a new year in January, congressional aides said.

"The terrorist threat is not going to expire at the end of this year," Bush said before departing the White House to meet with injured troops at a Naval hospital in suburban Bethesda, Maryland.

Democrats have proposed a three-month extension to provide time to resolve differences.

But the White House and Republican congressional leaders have rejected such a move, saying the proposed renewal would make improvements in civil liberties. Critics have countered that the improvements are insufficient.

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The thing is if this gets watered down and passed though heaven forbid something else happens! These same Dems will be begging for the air time to blame Bush and the Republican party. It's really to bad that politics comes before a safe country!

"The provisions up for renewal include ones involving wiretaps, access to library and business records and information-sharing by law enforcement and intelligence authorities."

FEAR FEAR FEAR...Not me...I got nothing to hide! :thumbsup:

I just heard that the senate agreed on the patriot act-Dont know what they agreed on just yet... We dont need the patriot act our govt uses its power no matter what we'd say

But in the wrong hands the patriot act can be used for a would be dictator to imprison its opposition--Do we really want someone like lordbush, H.Clinton to have full power to do what ever they want with this well named PatRIOT Act..

i know, people think it's just impossible for that to happen here though, it's just completely off their radar...we're tightening the noose around our own necks and building our own prison walls and who knows if some nutjob comes into power and actually uses the hardcore patriot act sections....and it becomes too obvious for people to ignore...it's their parents who are losing their land without just compensation for some rich country club...or someone who gets maced for protesting peacefully...

we're only making it that much harder to come out of this the deeper we go...