FBI Director Asks Lawmakers to Renew Patriot Act Provisions

[spotbird]

Source: Washington Post

FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III today urged lawmakers to move swiftly to renew intelligence-gathering measures set to expire in December, calling them "exceptional" tools to help protect national security.

Mueller told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee that he hoped that the reauthorization of two provisions contained in the Patriot Act would be far less "controversial" than in previous years. During the Bush administration, the law drove a wedge between investigators seeking to detect terrorist threats and advocates warning that it trampled on Americans' civil liberties.

.....


Mueller has not yet had a chance to meet with new Justice Department or White House officials regarding their views on the Patriot Act, he said. But at his Senate confirmation hearing in January, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. expressed at least moderate support for renewing the provisions that will sunset in December.


Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/25/AR2009032501862.html?hpid=topnews

[CountAllVotes]

1. time to dump this Nazi pig

and his "plans" for "the people"!

:puke:

:dem:

[indepat]

11. Hear! Hear! Time rid America of all who slavishly aided junior's fascist,

corporatist, far right-wing PNAC agenda: out with them all, whether in a government agency or the military. :P

[saigon68]

21. Definitely a Paranoid pig and enabler of Rich Criminals

[EFerrari]

2. Mueller is dirty and I wish there was some way for Obama to dump him.

But, he's there for another two years unless we PROSECUTE the Bush criminals and he is found to be THEIR CO-CONSPIRATOR.

[No Elephants]

17. Whether or not he's there, Congress does not have to accede to his request.

[Summermoondancer]

3. The Patriot act

has been the worst violation of our constitution to ever exist...it has led to many things like warrantless searches, false accusations without being able to confront your accuser, no trial or lawyers, and so forth...so anti American.

[tom_paine]

4. MORE CRIMINAL BUSHIES LEFT IN CONTROL???

:wtf:

How can this nation ever again be free if Nazi-Bushie Criminals remain in control of law enforcement and the military, even when they are supposedly "out" of power?

Answer: IT CAN'T.

[EFerrari]

8. He has a contract that runs another two years. I don't think he can be fired.

Obama is still very vulnerable right now to Bush holdovers in key departments like Justice, State, at the Pentagon. This year, in a way, is going to be very much about surviving them, imho.

[No Elephants]

18. Sure he can be fired, but he would have a right to damages for breach of

contract. That would be two years pay. Cheap to get rid of him. Give him two year's severance and wave bye.

[Hubert Flottz]

12. I can't either...

I don't trust anyone who was any part of Bush's crew. NEVER will.

[ixion]

5. The unPATRIOTic Act is unconstitutional, and should be repealed

in full. immediately. EOM.

[FiveGoodMen]

6. Absolutely! We need a new bill which declares that one null and void in its entirety

[Turbineguy]

7. Well yes, but

most of us would like rules that make our job easier.

The irony however is that Law Enforcement people should be champions of civil rights as it would give them more credibility. But an environment where status is measured by arrests and convictions instead of low levels of crime makes this impossible.

[iandhr]

10. why throw out the whole bill

just through out the parts that allow warrantees wiretapping. I am ok with the parts that enable greater sharing of intelligence. Remember when the President talks about a scalpel and not a hatchet this is one of those times.

[eyeontheprize]

9. Since Bush's DOJ is still in place

why would this be less controversial?

[tomm2thumbs]

13. he's worrying about DECEMBER right NOW? ... P O L I T I C S

for someone working in covert operations, his actions are OBVIOUS

[bobburgster]

14. I thought the president had the authority to...

replace the head of the FBI. Am I wrong?

[Metta]

15. We voted Bush out of office. When will Obama wake up?

Stuff like this is too much.

[Festivito]

16. It's exceptional alright, both protecting and destroying national security.

Any Republican plant is exceptional. I'd love to see them all excepted from any action within reach of me.

[No Elephants]

19. I have difficulty assuming Mueller took it upon himself to appeal to Congress without conferring

with the administration first. And the fact that Holder has "expressed at least moderate support" for what Mueller says supports my suspicion, no matter what Mueller said about not "meeting" with the administration on this yet.

Kabuki theater.

Make your voices heard, folks, and ask those like minded to do the same. Or, don't complain when this gets renewed.



http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

http://www.usdoj.gov/contact-us.html

www;house.gov

www.senate.gov

[bemildred]

20. Congress needs to tell Mueller to fuck off. nt