President Barack Obama...Patriot Act extension signed at witching hour!

With a deadline ticking away, President Barack Obama gave the nod to lawmakers last night, when he signed a 4-year extension for the Patriot Act just before the stroke of midnight.

In essence, the Government's power to search records - and conduct wiretaps at whim in pursuit of terrorists - has been renewed with vigor.

"It's an important tool for us to continue dealing with an ongoing terrorist threat," Obama stressed, on the heels of affixing his John Henry with a flourish to the documents.

Presumably, the President dotted his i's and crossed his t's  when he signed the binding legal documents.

Because Mr. Obama was in France when the deadline for signing the document into law was looming on the horizon, the President facilitated - what is referred as an autopen machine - to carry out the administrative task.

The instrument is rarely used and requires proper authorization by the sitting President.

Americans are still reeling over revelations that Barack Obama entered an incorrect date next to his signature in the Official Registry at Westminster Abbey a few days ago. For some inexplicable reason, the President was under the impression the year was 2008!

How time flies when you're having fun.

Or, was Mr. Obama having a Senior moment?

The Senate - dispute a few hot debates on the issues - voted 72 - 23 for the legislation to renew three terrorism-fighting measures.

The House later passed the controversial authorities 250 - 153 on a vote that stretched into the night.

Without the three authorities, the Obama administration argued successfully, that the FBI might not be able to obtain information on terrorist plotting inside the U.S.

Even still, the vote was held up for several days because one hold-out Senator - Rand Paul (Kentucky) - was concerned that the tools Law Enforcement sought would result in an abuse of privacy rights.

In essence, Paul demanded changes to the bill to restrict the government's ability to monitor individual actions without proper checks and the balancing of applicable rights laws.

The  renewal action extends the Government's authority over the next four years, and allows for roving wiretaps for non-American suspects who may be "lone wolfs" working independently without any known ties to organized terrorist groups.

The wiretaps and Government authorized access to business records are small parts of the USA Patriot Act enacted after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

But, unlike most of the act - which is permanent law - those provisions require periodic review because of concerns that they could be used to violate privacy rights.

The same set of principles apply to the "lone wolf" provision which was part of a 2004 intelligence law (some have accused was "rushed into" prematurely in the hysterical aftermath of the terrorist attack of 9/11 in New York.

Paul expressed his concerns that the some aspects of the Patriot Act trampled on individual liberties.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) fessed up that he voted for the act in 2001 "while ground zero was still burning."

"But, I soon realized it gave too much power to government without enough judicial and congressional oversight."

Mark Udall of Colorado was afraid that law-abiding citizens would be subject to unjust Government scrutiny.

"If we cannot limit investigations to terrorism or other nefarious activities, where do they end?"

"The Patriot Act has been used improperly again and again by law enforcement to invade Americans' privacy and violate their constitutional rights," added Laura W. Murphy, the director of the ACLU Washington legislative office, at one point during the heated debates on the controversial - but solemn - issues raised.

The provisions of the Patriot Act have kept us safe for nearly a decade and Americans today should be relieved and reassured to know that these programs will continue, added Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Intelligence officials at major U.S. Government agencies have denied improper use of surveillance tools, by the way.

FBI Director Robert Mueller warned in a letter to Congressional Leaders recently that there would be serious security consequences if the Patriot Act was not renewed.

"When the clock strikes midnight tomorrow, we would be giving terrorists the opportunity to plot attacks against our country, undetected," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on the Senate floor Wednesday.

When President Obama signed the appropriate documents last night he sealed their fate in the final analysis.
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Paul agreed to let the bill go forward after he was given a vote on two amendments to rein in government surveillance powers.

Both were defeated, however.

Amen!

http://www.thetattler.biz


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President Obama...gives nod to extending provisions of Patriot Act?

Barack Obama announced recently his intention to take a closer look at the Patriot Act and some of its defining salient points.

On the surface, the Obama administration appears to stand behind three provisions of the Act (installed in the wake of 911 when the country was at risk to terrorist attacks) which are due to expire at the end of the year.

Of particular interest to lawmakers and Civil Rights groups is the government's current legal right to access business records, monitor suspected rogue terrorists operating out of cells in the United States, and engage in surreptitious wire tapes of a dubious (and possibly illegal) nature.

Critics charge that the Patriot Act, in a nutshell, gives the intelligence community in the Government arena too much authority to snoop into the private lives of  U.S. Citizens.

At issue is the rule of  law and accountability.

The Justice Department has acknowledged the administration's desire to extend the three-year provisions aforementioned.

In spite of this hard stance, though, the president and government handlers have hinted that they may consider granting additional privacy protection if said provisions do not weaken the effectiveness of the Partriot Act.

Get those petitions out to Washington, eh?

http://www.julianayrs.com

Homeland Security...Highway 8 perilous for drug lords, illegal immigrants & fruit smugglers! High alert on April 11th...

The Border Patrol were busy little bees yesterday at the height of an elevated alert in the San Diego region!

Rather than cruise along the same highways I facilitated about ten days ago to attend the AFI Fest (Dallas) , I threw caution to the wind and let an adventurous spirit lead the way.

Well, my guide must have been a surly confidant of Uncle Sam!

The trek along highways 30, 20, and 10 were uneventful enough - but when I headed down the last leg of my journey homeward bound on Highway 8 (west to San Diego) - I got more than I bargained for.

Sure, some of the landscape was picturesque (more on that in a follow-up post) but had I known the Border Patrol would be buzzin' up my a** throughout the day, I would have taken another less burdensome route.

For example, about twenty minutes after I crossed the California border, a white vehicle with a green emblem on the side panel sped up behind me out-of-the-blue.

At first, I thought it was a Military vehicle.

As it raced on by to official business elsewhere, I spied the name of the Government agency out-of-the-corner of my eye.

Border Patrol.

I'd heard a lot about the all-powerful (overzealous?) elite force run by Homeland Security, but - like many Americans - managed to steer clear of 'em.

I guess my number was up.

About ten miles up the road, a flashing neon sign forewarned that there may be a stop ahead, and that drivers should be ready for a vehicle inspection.

As I inched closer, and my heart beat faster (next to my Green Card in a wallet inside my chest pocket), I noticed a couple of cars parked at the side of the road.

A handful of diligent officers were sifting through a lot of dirty laundry, camping equipment, left-over lunch, and what-have-you.

In addition, a couple of passengers in the car in front of me were being questioned quite vigorously, by a young lady in a green field jacket and spiffy pantaloons.

Gosh, the babe was packing a gun!

When I pulled up, she jawned, and waved me through.

Yeah, no one's interested in wrinkly old white dudes.

Just ask Paris Hilton!

Just as I started to pick up speed and managed to tick off a few miles to compensate for lost time, there was another lull in traffic as vehicles were instructed to slow down - and if necessary - stop for an Officer.

As luck would have it, the man in front of me must have looked suspicious, because he got flagged right off-the-bat.

I sat in my own SUV and waited for the interrogation to end as I twiddled my thumbs.

At one juncture, a hefty middle-aged woman in baggy shorts and matching vest - wearing an official-looking badge emblazoned on the front of her "butch" uniform (Lesbo?) - strode to the back of the pick-up, hauled herself over the back gate of the truck bed, and proceeded to inspect a cooler inside.

Satisfied there was nothing untoward in there, she hopped out.

Now, with a nervous hand, the driver handed over a couple of oranges he plucked out of the glove compartment out of harm's way 'til now.


The meticulous gal gave them a once over, plunked 'em down on her makeshift table at the side of the road, then proceeded to jot down his license plate number.



I guess if they decide to bust the disreputable fellow for smuggling, they'll lock him up in a holding cell where they detain all the "fruits" incarcerated in the prison population.

Once again, I was waved through with little fuss.

I thought the rude interruptions had all dried up at about the witching hour.

No, sir!

Next up?

A search for drugs!

When the vehicle in front pulled up to a line marked on the pavement at the check point, a police dog was inclined to jump up from his snug perch by the Guard's station, then trot up to driver's side of the vehicle to sniff a little.

Nada!

Now, the dog handler turned in my direction with a slightly bemused look on his face.

Was I the culprit who piqued the dog's curiosity?

I inched forward, then stopped, so the dog and I were in line with each other.

Then, without any qualms, I stared directly into the animal's eyes and gave him a look as if to say:

"I'm not in the mood for your nonesense, so don't get any ideas, Bowser!"

He moved on.

If you can believe it, I also encountered another "border check" in an out-of-the-way pass on the way in to the San Diego area just about midnight.

A ubiquitous sign was posted on the gate for the tired and the humbled masses to peruse as they awaited their fate.

It read - "Homeland Security using tax dollars to protect Americans against the threat of Terrorism" - or something to that effect.

Again, travellers in vehicles ahead of me were stopped and questioned, but I was waved through.

I guess it was because I was driving a Ford, do 'ya think?

http://www.julianayrs.com

Patriot Act...U.S. to appeal court ruling!

Last month, a Federal Judge in Oregon struck down key portions of the Patriot Act as unconstitutional.

Judge Ann Aiken, of the Oregon Federal District Court, ruled that two provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), as amended by the Patriot Act, are unconstitutional because they violate the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken noted that the act cannot be used to authorize secret searches and wiretapping to gather criminal evidence - instead of intelligence gathering - without violating the 4th Amendment ban on unreasonable searches and seizures.

"FISA permits the executive branch of government to conduct surveillance and searches of American citizens without satisfying the probable cause requirements of the Fourth Amendment", she ruled.

The 4th Amendment stipulates as follows:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

She also noted that,

"For over 200 years, this nation has adhered to the rule of law, with unparalleled success. A shift to a nation based on extra-constitutional authority is prohibited, as well as ill-advised."

She added that the Supreme Court cautioned, as follows:

"The price of lawful public dissent must not be a dread of subjection to an unchecked surveillance power. Nor must the fear of unauthorized official eavesdropping deter vigorous citizen dissent and discussion of Government action in private conversation. For private dissent, no less than open public discourse, is essential to our free society."

The legal issue arose because of a lawsuit filed by Brandon Mayfield, a Portland lawyer, whose home and office were secretly searched and bugged after the FBI misidentified a fingerprint in the Madrid train bombings that killed 191 people in 2004.

The FBI apologized, and the suit was settled in Mr. Mayfield's favor, for an out-of-court settlement of $2 million.

But the illegality of the FBI's conduct is still at issue.

Lawyers for the Government have announced an appeal will be lodged in respect to Judge Aiken's findings, and subsequent ruling, which puts a major dent in FISA and the Patriot Act.

Bush Impeachment...approval rate low

Headin' home the other night, I spied a rag-tag band of protesters on the corner of Robertson and Santa Monica Boulevard waving banners high urging that George Bush be impeached...

The rally was strategically-placed, what with Hollywood's Power Brokers supping just down the street a hop-and-a-skip away at the trendy watering hole, The Ivy.

Spies inform me that somewhere down on Crescent Heights, just off the Boulevard, there's also a fresh gang of anti-Bushers ready to sign you up for the push towards impeachment.

Well, it's a last-ditch effort to out the President from the Oval office on the heels of a recent poll which indicates that Mr. Bush's job approval rating is the lowest point in his Presidency to date, according to Associated Press.

Ah, there's always someone around to seize the day!

According to the pollsters, if you look into the mirror and staring back at you is a white, conservative, Republican - an Evangelical who faithfully attends Church Service each week - then you are a George Bush supporter.

Frankly, I'm always amazed when I am out in public and all around me voters are complaining about Mr. Bush - whether it be in respect to the troops in Irag, his alleged corrupt cronies, or abuses of the Patriot Act.

Someone voted for him, I expect. After all, he's in office.

But who will admit?

The poll states that among all age groups the Prez's highest approval comes from the 40's set (that lets me out) and from those who are White and Hispanic (ya got me there).

And, rural folks (nay) warm up to him more than the City Dwellers do.

When it comes to the individual, those who have coupled are more fervently in support.

But, from a territorial perspective, voters in the South and West like the man better, though just by a sliver, or two.

Overall, just one in three Americans give him the thumbs up for a job well done.

Hands down, though, he is experiencing a crushing loss of support with respect to job approval in the political arena: although two-thirds of the Republicans support him, there are no Democrats left waving the Elephant flag.

What will George W's legacy be?

The Jury is still out...

*Photo courtesy Codepink