BCT Editorial – 2/14/06

This page was last updated on February 14, 2006.

Power play; Editorial; Beaver County Times; February 14, 2006.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“GOP deal makes it hard for Democrats to oppose Patriot Act provisions

“Senate Democrats are about to lose their Patriot Act fig leaves.

“Democrats have been balking at renewing 16 provisions of the 2001 Patriot Act because they believed they did not come with enough safeguards to protect civil liberties.

“They got some much-needed political cover from four Republicans who joined them in refusing to rubber stamp the Bush administration’s renewal effort.

“That might not be the case for long.

“After months of negotiations, Sen. John Sununu, R-N.H., one of the four GOP senators who balked at automatic renewal of the provisions, said the dissident Republicans and the White House have reached a deal that gives them greater assurances that the anti-terror act, adopted following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America, would not undermine personal liberties.

“If the internal GOP deal holds up, a majority of Senate Democrats will have little choice but to go along with it. Without GOP cover, even if it was only from a handful of senators, Democrats aren’t going to fight this matter to the bitter end. Politically, they can’t win.”

[RWC] This editorial admits Democrats oppose renewal of the Patriot Act solely for partisan purposes. If Democrats truly believed what they tell us, they would continue to oppose renewal.

“If the latest Associated Press/Ipsos poll is any indication, a growing number of Americans don’t put much premium on preserving their civil liberties. The poll found that 48 percent now support the administration’s NSA eavesdropping program. That’s up from 42 percent last month. On the other side, 50 percent now say the administration should have to get a warrant. That’s down from 56 percent a month ago.”

[RWC] Let me get this straight. If you support eavesdropping on international terrorists outside the U.S. communicating with persons inside the U.S., you “don’t put much premium on preserving [your] civil liberties?” On what planet does the author live? Does the author honestly believe Americans can’t tell the difference between true civil liberty abuses and the phony kind dreamed up by partisans?

“Does the GOP deal protect civil liberties? No one knows. It’s all in how the administration uses the power it is being handed.

“Know this, though: If Americans aren’t careful, their civil liberties will end not with a bang but with a whimper.”

[RWC] For its sake, I sure hope the Times benefits for faithfully promoting the liberal talking point of the moment.