Obama Signs Patriot Act Extension With Autopen

[Purveyor]

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — Congress on Thursday passed a four-year extension of post-Sept. 11 powers to search records and conduct roving wiretaps in pursuit of terrorists. Votes taken in rapid succession in the Senate and House came after lawmakers rejected attempts to temper the law enforcement powers to ensure that individual liberties are not abused.

Following the 250-153 evening vote in the House, the legislation to renew three terrorism-fighting authorities headed for the president's signature with only hours to go before the provisions expire at midnight.

With Obama currently in France, the White House said the president would use an autopen machine that holds a pen and signs his actual signature. It is only used with proper authorization of the president. Minutes before the midnight deadline, the White House said Obama had signed the bill.

A short-term expiration would not interrupt ongoing operations but would bar the government from seeking warrants for new investigations.

MORE...

Read more: http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/obama-signs-patriot-act-957694.html

[SugarShack]

1. Ah...the hopey changey thing is not really coming to the USA

[msongs]

2. Bush/Cheney march on under a new name in these matters. what's in it for Obama? hmm nt

[ClarkUSA]

7. It gets domestic terrorists like the Times Square bomber arrested before blowing up people.

Your bullshit Bush = Obama equivalence is ludicrous, as usual.

[Fearless]

8. They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety

deserve neither liberty nor safety.

[boppers]

20. Disposable, untrackable, cellphones are not an essential liberty to me.

Perhaps you can convince me otherwise.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

45. What about disposable, untrackable pen and paper?

:think:

[boppers]

57. Should a separate warrant be needed for each pen and paper document?

Roving wiretaps are about tapping multiple phones.

[andlor]

40. +1

[Le Taz Hot]

43. Some DUers are much smarter

than Benjamin Franklin, didn't you know? ;-)

[PSPS]

17. No it doesn't.

[boppers]

21. I agree with your first and fourth points, but your seventh gives me pause.

Oh, wait, you didn't actually make any points.

Or offer any text to move the discussion forward.

[girl gone mad]

55. The poster made a valid point.

[ClarkUSA]

66. The facts are on my side. The Patriot Act enabled cops to arrest the TSB. See Reply #64 (link) ->

Reply 64: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4864860&mesg_id=4865685

There have been numerous other domestic terrorism plots that have been disrupted via The Patriot Act. Furthermore, unlike BushCo, the Obama administration is getting permission from the FISA court.

[Name removed]

36. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DesMoinesDem]

47. The Patriot Act had absolutely nothing to do with stopping the Times Square bomber.

People on the street saw smoke coming from the car.

Your example = EPIC FAIL

[progressoid]

60. Hey DesMoinesDem!

Welcome to DU from another Iowan. :hi:

[ClarkUSA]

64. Wrong. The Patriot Act allowed police to locate and arrest him.

"The vehicle identification number had been removed from the bomb-laden 1993 Nissan Pathfinder left in Times Square. But investigators were able to lift it from a second location on the vehicle, and used that to track down a Connecticut man who said he had sold the Pathfinder for cash about three weeks ago.

The man had offered the vehicle on Craigslist, and FBI agents were able to recover the number from a disposable cellphone that had been used by the buyer."

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/36738.html

After capture, the guy sang like a bird. Presumably, those who are railing against the Patriot Act are not against capturing terrorists, I hope?

:sarcasm:

[Cal Carpenter]

62. LOL

I've never done this before, but I googled your username and the Patriot Act on DU and found a few places where you had a very different perspective on the Patriot Act and the politicians who supported it back in 2007. It was pretty funny.

Just thought I'd mention it.

[ClarkUSA]

65. Unlike BushCo, the Obama administration have no problems going to the FISA court.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Kolesar]

34. Sarah Slime

[Doremus]

63. That 'hopey-changey' thing is getting old, dontcha think?

Especially since the person who coined it is a foaming RW whackjob.

It wasn't cute (or novel or creative, etc) when she said it and it hasn't improved with the subsequent 1.5 million reiterations.

[Wilms]

3. .

[villager]

4. What a complete fraud he turned out to be.

n/t

[emilyg]

14. Yes.

[alp227]

23. PolitiFact: Obama wanted more oversight on the PATRIOT Act

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/obameter/promise/179/revise-the-patriot-act-to-increase-oversight-on-go/

"As president, Barack Obama would revisit the PATRIOT Act to ensure that there is real and robust oversight of tools like National Security Letters, sneak-and-peek searches, and the use of the material witness provision."

Doesn't look like this renewal did so.

[villager]

54. Sure doesn't. Nor is he fighting for any "change" in this regard.

n/t

[Hulk]

5. What were the two changes I heard that Rand Paul injected?

I heard that on the radio network today. Wonder what changes were made? Probably not enough.

[autorank]

10. Patriot Act Extension Signed By Obama (by machine)

Source: HuffPost

WASHINGTON — Congress on Thursday passed a four-year extension of post-Sept. 11 powers to search records and conduct roving wiretaps in pursuit of terrorists. Votes taken in rapid succession in the Senate and House came after lawmakers rejected attempts to temper the law enforcement powers to ensure that individual liberties are not abused.

Following the 250-153 evening vote in the House, the legislation to renew three terrorism-fighting authorities headed for the president's signature with only hours to go before the provisions expire at midnight.

With Obama currently in France, the White House said the president would use an autopen machine that holds a pen and signs his actual signature. It is only used with proper authorization of the president. Minutes before the midnight deadline, the White House said Obama had signed the bill.

A short-term expiration would not interrupt ongoing operations but would bar the government from seeking warrants for new investigations.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/27/patriot-act-extension-signed-obama-autopen_n_867851.html?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl1|sec1_lnk2|66397

---

OK, here's the opportunity. Claim the act is invalid since it lacks a personal signature;)

[villager]

11. how disgusting it all is, and the degree to which we were lied to in the last campaign

n/t

[autorank]

12. You got that right

We don't need the Patriot Act. Osama bin Laden is dead, al Qaeda is on the ropes, and there's a secular revolt in the Middle East. People there want jobs and the exile of fat cat crooks who steal everything.

But the political and bureaucratic incentive for ever more control is universally appealing and here we go again, precious rights (not perfectly enforced) sacrificed for paranoia.

I'd say that this signing is the ultimate example of "phoning it it."

[struggle4progress]

18. 4 senators win promise of a Patriot Act hearing

Associated Press | Posted: Thursday, May 26, 2011 6:21 pm

Four Democratic senators won the promise Thursday of a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing into what they say is a secret and expansive Justice Department interpretation of the information collection the Patriot Act allows.

The criticism by Intelligence Committee members Ron Wyden of Oregon and Mark Udall of Colorado came as Congress moved to extend the government's Patriot Act powers to search records and conduct roving wiretaps.

Wyden said there is a growing gap between what the law says and what the senators call a classified interpretation of the law by the Justice Department.

Udall said his constituents "would be alarmed if they knew" how the Patriot Act was being carried out ...

http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/article_6baee878-670e-5399-99fd-e1e89f96c680.html

[lonestarnot]

13. Ackety.

[Scottybeamer70]

15. autopen?

have we sunk that low that he can't even be bothered to be present anymore?

[TimLighter]

16. A bleeping autopen? Autopen? If I was writing a RW talkshow hosts

Opening monologue for tommorow I'd make sure to reference robo-signing and tele-prompters.
What are his handlers thinking?

[Lasher]

19. The thing probably cost a million bucks.

Could just as easily have had somebody use a rubber stamp with his signature. I've done just that back when I had to sign paychecks.

But if I were in Obama's place I would have had somebody fly the actual bill to me in Europe, if I couldn't break away from my trip there to return to the US. Then I would have vetoed the damned thing.

[Amonester]

61. His handlers run the show.

Some of them R remnants of the previous regime too.

[boppers]

22. Thomas Jefferson doesn't care about people!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autopen

It's been in use by presidents since 1804.

That's 207 *years*.

[alp227]

24. but i've never heard a case where a president has signed bill with autopen

I remember that Bush left his vacation early just to sign the emergency Terri Schiavo bill. But obviously Obama can't interrupt a state visit just to sign a despicable anti-liberty law.

[boppers]

25. Just because a non-story wasn't created by media doesn't mean it didn't exist.

Autopen is no biggie, this is basically yet another poutrage unrelated to anything of substance. If people don't like the bill (that Congress keeps passing), making an issue of the mechanics about how it is being "signed" is really just kind of... sad.

[davidpdx]

27. It's because people are too stupid to comprehend he was in France

It looks like a bunch of people on here have fallen for the RW propaganda machine.

[davidpdx]

26. Reread the story again

He was in France. He's been in Europe for a few weeks.

[LibertyLover]

48. What's wrong with autopen?

My vice president is away this week and I have had 4 or 5 urgent powers of attorney I needed to get signed, otherwise investment documents in Georgia, Mongolia, Lao PDR and Thailand weren't going to be executed, costing us thousands of dollars. But, with autopen, her secretary was able to get me the signatures I needed and it looks like everything will be signed on time. Autopen is a very helpful addition to the office as far as I'm concerned. But I imagine Freepers will be screaming that it's not a real signature and the law isn't valid, just like they scream that President Obama isn't a real natural born American citizen and not really the president.

[alp227]

51. I'll tell ya something: Auto-Tune < Autopen

Obama's voice and speaking style is so elegant that auto-tune (which has butchered much modern music) would vandalize his speeches. Haha. And good point with autopen.

[keepCAblue]

28. Most pathetic part of all...THIS is, for the most part, being ignored....

...right here on DU.

My, my what a difference a party-affiliation makes.

I remember how loud and collectively we all railed against Bush and the Rethugs when this was originally instituted. And now, with a Dem pres and Democratically-controlled Senate, the vile Patriot Act is extended and not so much as a peep from the collective DU. Just a handful of us who still remember the outrage of days (and parties) gone by.

[theHandpuppet]

56. I haven't forgotten

... and the lack of collective outrage is pretty pathetic.

[Tripod]

I guess that for me , it doesn't really matter.

I'm not a terrorist. But I hate to think of my private messages, phone calls, being heard.

[Tripod]

edit

message

[Tripod]

29. edit

mesage

[sunwyn]

30. The Patriot Act is the clearest attack on the Constitution ever enacted by this country.

Obama is wrong - period. Call me a shill, call me a troll, but it's true. And no I am not a right wing moron. I am liberal and have never voted Republican my whole life.

[boppers]

32. Should a wiretap on your cell phone be invalid if you buy a new model at a store.

This is a simple question.

[Threedifferentones]

35. Should people who complained about a policy under Bush also complain about it under a Dem?

If you had been posting here about how the PA is fine and dandy when Bush first signed it, you would have been fried. Back then, everyone here agreed the govt's ability to spy on its own citizens should be curbed, not increased.

But, now that it's Obama's turn, well maybe it's not so bad. I voted for Obama too, but I find hypocrisy gross, so I will not again.

[boppers]

39. So, wiretaps are bad, or not bad, based on who is in office?

That seems wrong.

[Threedifferentones]

67. My sarcastic post was pointing out that Obama deserves to be ridiculed for this.

Doesn't really surprise me that you didn't get it, since you are the one defending the Patriot Act...

[Bragi]

41. So it's just about new cell phones?

You mean this bit of renewed legislation is just "The New Cell-Phone Wiretap Continuation Act"?

That being so, have you any explanation why so many here at DU were opposed to this law when Bush first brought it in?

[Twostones]

31. The Republicans voted overwhelmingly for it. Votes:

The Senate approved the bill as part of the Small Business Reauthorization bill (S.990) by a vote of 72-23, and the House passed the bill by a vote of 250-153. The republicans voted overwhelmingly to pass the extension to the Patriot Act despite promises to limit big government. House votes were 196 republicans for and 31 against. Democrats were 54 for and 122 against. In the senate it was 41 republicans for and only 4 republicans against. It was 31 democrats for and 18 Democrats against the Extension. Bernie Sanders of vermont an independent voted against it. It looks like this is a Republican bill by the votes.

[totodeinhere]

52. That's a nice spin but the fact remains that a majority of Senate Democrats voted for it and it was

signed into law by a Democratic president. Both parties own the Patriot Act. But having said that I applaud the House Democratic caucus whose majority voted against the bill.

[grahamhgreen]

33. Why? Does he hate our freedoms?

[lunatica]

37. Take note. The Party of No isn't objecting to this one

Hannity isn't outraged. Limbaugh isn't going berserk. The Right is awesomely silent.

But then, the Left is also mum.

Sigh.

[no_hypocrisy]

38. And he'll sign it again in four years when he wants to help the democratic

party get a lead in the race to the WH.

[indimuse]

42. KNR! n/t

[No Elephants]

44. It's Ok if Obama does it.l

[GeorgeGist]

46. Contemptible cowardice. /nt

[Hell Hath No Fury]

49. And this is different from Bush how?

And what about the "secret" Patriot Act Wyden revealed???

Same ol', same ol'.

Utterly disgusting when done by a Dem. :puke:

[Amaya]

50. when will everyone realize obama

is a fucking tool and always has been. this country has one party. the corporate party.

[The Northerner]

53. K&R

[Octafish]

58. Couple this with the 'authority' to kill 'Enemies of the State' and we're all in deep doo-doo.

That is a Secret Government term d'art.

[fascisthunter]

59. If those in governemnt don't like you, they can call you an Enemy of the State

and have you killed. He is a Constitutional lawyer... no doubt he knows these powers can and probably will be abused. Absolutely sickening. They are setting the stage for totalitarianism... how fucking idiotic or evil. Take your pick.

[LetTimmySmoke]

68. Problem isn't the autopen

It's what was signed with it.