Telling moment for U.S.:After 10 years only 8 senators voted AGAINST the renewal of the Patriot Act

[Poll_Blind]

LINK:Patriot Act Extension Passes Senate, Rand Paul Amendments Fail

Here are the names of those Senators who voted against extending it:
Baucus (D-MT)
Begich (D-AK)
Heller (R-NV)
Merkley (D-OR)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Paul (R-KY)
Sanders (I-VT)
Tester (D-MT)

You're gonna grow old and die and the Patriot Act will still be watching over you. And so will the "Secret Patriot Act". And maybe you can say I'm full of shit and maybe you can say I'm wrong.

But the numbers and the votes don't lie. Democrat, Republican: It doesn't matter who you vote for, they're both playing for the same side on this one.

PB

[KG]

1. american party politics is kabuki theater.

[Hannah Bell]

5. kr

[Poll_Blind]

12. Makes me sad- even Ron Wyden (who I link to, speaking about the "Secret" Patriot Act) chickened out.

And voted for the damned thing. I am used to much, much better from him.

PB

[Poll_Blind]

18. Oh, I think I see some method in his madness:

2 senators win promise of a Patriot Act hearing

PB

[Poll_Blind]

28. And yet...

As Kentuck points out, if the $690 Billion defense budget exists without question while we're hearing calls to cut social services and just about everything else....how much hope can ther be?

PB

[MilesColtrane]

22. Why is it always kabuki theater?

Why isn't it Commedia dell'arte, or Burlesque, or Theater of the Absurd?

[KG]

24. coz in kabuki theater, men played the roles of both sexes.

[Enthusiast]

54. That's exactly what it is.

I have lost what respect I had for the lot of them. This is clearly what is ruining our nation. I guess these politicians, including the president, see this as an opportunity to make 'personal' gains.

[provis99]

2. I'm through with Dick Durbin.

First the Gang of Six, and now this. And all the complaining about how corporations own Congress, while at the same time he takes their corporate pac money.

[ixion]

3. As I've said many times: Behind the scenes, there is only ONE 'party'

they call the shots, dictate policy, and profit.

And they will destroy this country if We, the People let them, and thus far, we have done just that.

[bigwillq]

7. Yup.

That's really the way it is. I agree with you. Good post. :thumbsup:


might want to change "is" to "if" in your last sentence.

[ixion]

20. yeah, saw that... changed

thanks!

[bigwillq]

21. No prob

:hi:

[sabrina 1]

13. Seems that way, more and more each day. Good post n/t

[Upton]

14. That's for sure..

and it's never been more obvious...

[Poll_Blind]

23. I just don't know what the answer is to change the way things are.

Maybe contracts with the People on certain issues, a real contract to perform a certain way on a certain issue in order to get votes.

:shrug:

PB

[tonybgood]

Both parties - VOTE THEM OUT!!!

If this doesn't tell you that the Democratic and Republican parties are just different sides of the same coin, I don't know what will. There is only one solution; vote out BOTH PARTIES!!!

[tonybgood]

49. Both parties - VOTE THEM OUT!!!

If this doesn't tell you that the Democratic and Republican parties are just different sides of the same coin, I don't know what will. There is only one solution; vote out BOTH PARTIES!!!

[aquart]

4. Nobody wants to be on record voting against it JUST IN CASE

There's another big strike.

Bernie Sanders, of course, is pure common sense.

[russspeakeasy]

48. They would have all abstained if they could..

[Hannah Bell]

6. fuck bush & fuck all the toadies that empowered him after 911 and in the run-up

to the iraq war.

now in the 8th year of ww3, hope you're all happy with your freedom.

[indepat]

9. All of them: the long and the short and the tall, every last one of them

:patriot:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. Not to worry. Our freedom loving president will veto it.

If he can tear himself away from prosecuting whistleblowers and his "necessary" wars.

[kenny blankenship]

33. In fact, he could not wait to get home to sign it. Literally.

He couldn't wait, so he signed it while still in Europe. He should have signed it while in Austria, birthplace of the term "police state", instead of France. He was so close.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/05/26/national/w165822D43.DTL&tsp=1

[The Green Manalishi]

55. Not to mention busting medical marijuana dispensaries

[Octafish]

10. They're using the raw transcripts to run the rest.

Turning the NSA on the American people is exactly what Frank Church warned us about, back in '76.

Thank you for the heads-up on the USA PATRIOT Act, Poll Blind. Spot-on analysis.

One name who would and should be on that list is Paul Wellstone (Real D-MN).

[Logical]

11. This country fell for the scare tactics. We too easily let them tell us what we need. n-t

[Newest Reality]

15. The Patriot Act is

just another way to say, "Eventually, you are going to get tired of what we are getting away with and so, we want to be able to legally keep an eye on everything you do while having the system setup to take care of any person or group who proves a threat to corporatism and, our Lord and Savior, Profit!"

You can't wage a war on a word alone. When they do that, you know it is either preemptive in regards to expected results, or it has an eventual payoff for many profiteers. While coincidence is not proof, I find it very alarming that the Patriot Act exists, in an Orwellian way, alongside the politically powerful rise of corporatism amidst an unparalleled transfer of wealth while the masses are increasingly disenfranchised and exploited more brutally and obviously every day.

Yup. You will need a lot of special powers and legal muscle to manage the results of a neo-Fascist movement and criminal activity at the top.

[Poll_Blind]

16. +1

PB

[Obamanaut]

17. Democrat, Republican, Independent - they are only different when they

are lying for your vote.

Then, they become/are the same.

And we reelect them for a long and prosperous career, and they know we will, so they don't care.

[TheKentuckian]

19. 92 traitors and some of the eight are probably holding out for more.

See ya at the barricades or worst comes to work in the internment camps.

[Jefferson23]

25. I wish they would change the name of it, at least be honest about that.

The Just in Case Act.

Just in case we get attacked, just in case we need to bug you, just in case we fuck up and need to detain you forever to hide that we fucked up
when we detained you the first time.

Change the God damn name already to reflect what it really is about.

[Poll_Blind]

26. For all the billions, funny how when the world's biggest dirty bomb goes off (Fukushima)...

...we get like 3 weeks of radiation monitoring- where we don't even get to find out what the radiation monitored was, just that it was "acceptable".

PB

[EFerrari]

27. The national security state is hugely profitable.

No one wants to get on the wrong side of that.

[Poll_Blind]

29. It's a term I throw around and hear thrown around but this is a concrete example of JUST HOW...

...powerful its influence is. I can't think of any other reasonable explanation other than the sheer weight of the military/industrial complex, pressing down on this issue.

PB

[EFerrari]

41. Agreed. n/t

[kenny blankenship]

30. So Neofascism will eventually triumph... because it brings home the bacon?

MMMmmMMMmm bacon, for a bold new future of Unity & Strength!

[EFerrari]

40. What do ya mean, "eventually"?

[kenny blankenship]

42. I didn't want to imply it had nowhere to go from here, no more mountains to climb

no more vistas to boldly venture toward, no rights left to hollow out, no protections to void. I foresee it still has a bold, crispy future ahead and its beast days are yet to come!

[fascisthunter]

31. great... more abuse of Power

[Towlie]

32. Democrats are trying to beat the Republicans by BECOMING the Republicans, which is no defeat at all.

[BlueIris]

34. Ouch. And props to Jeff Merkley for being one of the smart ones.

Senator Wyden, what's your excuse?

[Poll_Blind]

35. I know- I was wondering the exact same thing. However, it turns out that Wyden may...

...have negotiated to vote for the extension in return for a Patriot Act hearing which includes an investigation into the "Secret Patriot Act" Wyden had been going on about for a few days. Mostly Wyden is spot-on with me. Not as much as DeFazio, but nobody's perfect. ;) Anyway, I think he was figuring that he wasn't going to sink the thing with another Nay so tried to squeeze some "progress" out of it.

I mean, this is all speculation and who knows what the hearing will actually wind up being (i.e. how probing it'll be) but...

PB

[bighart]

38. But what about the provision in the secret part that nulifies any agreement

to holding hearings on the secret part? :sarcasm:

[Poll_Blind]

43. LOL- and I'm laughing because if I wasn't I'd be crying.

I presume that there may not be such a provision in the "Secret Patriot Act" but it may force a showdown between the Administration and the committee where Obama/Holder/whomever may be forced to claim states secrets or executive privilege or some such stuff, and that may be politically damaging.

Again, though, I'm flying just as blind as everyone else...

PB

[meow mix]

36. both my senators on there...

gj guys!

[Poll_Blind]

44. Whether it's MT or AK, you have good reason to be proud. I wish it was both OR's as well.

:thumbsup:

PB

[meow mix]

59. envious of OR's blueness from here..

so i wouldnt worry about it too much lol

[Tom Rinaldo]

37. Very interesting assortment of No votes

If I had been told in advance that 8 Senators would oppose it, there is absolutely no way I would have come close to guessing this list. Of these only Sanders and Paul seem obvious to me, and maybe I could have guessed a couple more.

[truedelphi]

39. Once again, I pause to consider:

Bernie Sanders in 2012 for the Top Job in the nation.

[Poll_Blind]

45. If he did, what do you think would be a realistically-attractive VP?

?

PB

[Saxon]

46. The politicians hate us for our Freedoms.

[emsimon33]

47. Why isn't Franken on the list?

[bighart]

50. Because he voted for the extension.

[Aerows]

51. I can't stand Baucus

But he voted with his heart on this one. I can't believe that people in this country ignore the damage the "Patriot" Act does to our liberties.

Three cheers for everyone, Republican and Democratic alike, that stood up and said "NO".

[annm4peace]

52. someone told me Franken voted against it

Dang it!

[GeorgeGist]

53. Home of the brave?

[pmorlan1]

56. Only 8?

I thought there were 23 who voted against the extension. Where are you seeing just 8? The link you provided shows 23?

[pmorlan1]

58. 23 voted Nay

I found this information (don't know if it's accurate). It's pretty bad when the MSM does not provide the vote information. They give you the totals but never bother to link to the names of who voted yea or nay. Can anyone else find the raw voting information?

23 voted no. Thats a good start (seriously thats definitely up from before)
Here is who voted no:
Akaka (D-HI) Baucus (D-MT) Begich (D-AK) Bingaman (D-NM) Brown (D-OH) Cantwell (D-WA) Coons (D-DE) Durbin (D-IL) Franken (D-MN) Harkin (D-IA) Heller (R-NV) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Lee (R-UT) Merkley (D-OR) Murkowski (R-AK) Murray (D-WA) Paul (R-KY) Sanders (I-VT) Tester (D-MT) Udall (D-CO) Udall (D-NM) Wyden (D-OR)

http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/hkzy7/no_link_to_results_just_happened_patriot_act_has/

[d_b]

57. props to begich

still an oil whore, but such is ak.