Charlie Savage, who used to write for the Boston Globe and who is one of the more effective and tenacious freedom fighters against imperial powers in our government, is now lodging with the New York Times. They're incredibly lucky to have him. Let's hope he shakes them up on a regular basis. Looks like he's going after any laggards in the battle against the unconstitutional Patriot Act.
The Patriot-Act-in-quotes will be up for reauthorization by this Congress and the battle lines are being drawn. Savage reports that one of the enemies of curtailing the worst aspects of the Act may well be the White House itself. He reminds us Obama has been on the wrong side of this issue since he was a senator.
...Some civil libertarians want lawmakers to revisit a June 2008 law in which Congress granted immunity from civil lawsuits to telecommunications companies that assisted President George W. Bush’s program of surveillance without warrants, and that adjusted federal statutes to bring them into alignment with a form of that program.
As a senator, Mr. Obama voted for that bill, infuriating civil libertarians.
The bill filed Sept. 17 — which is championed in particular by two Democratic senators, Russ Feingold of Wisconsin and Richard J. Durbin of Illinois — would repeal the immunity provision.
So what's the former Senator Obama going to do now?
...The Obama administration called on Congress to reauthorize the three expiring Patriot Act provisions in a letter from Ronald Weich, assistant attorney general for legislative affairs. At the same time, he expressed a cautious open mind about imposing new surveillance restrictions as part of the legislative package.
“We are aware that members of Congress may propose modifications to provide additional protection for the privacy of law abiding Americans,” Mr. Weich wrote, adding that “the administration is willing to consider such ideas, provided that they do not undermine the effectiveness of these important authorities.”
That's a little uncertain for those of us who want less, not more, of the same. Keep an eye on it. Keep an eye on Senators Dorgin and Feingold (freedom fighters) and Senator Christopher Bond (a true, um, "patriot").
