It seems that there has been some difficulty in reaching agreement in the Senate on amendments that might marginally safeguard a few of our remaining civil liberties, so House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner has delayed a vote by his chamber until next week.
From the AP:
"Senate Republicans moved Wednesday to prevent Democrats from trying to add more civil liberties safeguards to a renewal of the 2001 Patriot Act due to expire next week.
In a pair of votes orchestrated by Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., the Senate effectively shut off amendments to a compromise between the White House and libertarian-leaning Republicans allowing some court challenges to government demands for people's records in terrorism investigations.
...
"The procedural wrangling in the Senate prompted House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., to pull the measure off his chamber's schedule for the day. The House was not expected to vote on the matter until next week."
And while the Senate is expected to pass it later this week, it has turned into a bizarre circus with some Senators apparently willing to vote to pass the legislation knowing it's a piece of crap that they will have to try to fix later.
"Despite the bill's progress, deep misgivings remain even among its chief supporters.
One of them, Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., was in the odd position Tuesday of urging his colleagues to pass a bill so flawed that he planned new legislation and hearings to fix it.
"The issue is not concluded," said Specter, R-Pa. He said he plans more legislation and hearings on restoring House-rejected curbs on government power."
Hey! Arlen... good luck with that.
I also have to note this cowardly comment by Sen. Jim Bunning R-Ky:
"Civil liberties do not mean much when you are dead,"
I mean, does this guy have "founding father" written all over him, or what?