[mattduke]

Many liberals tag the tea party movement as nativist, potentially racist, and out of step with progressive ideals. But some found themselves giving a nod of approval to tea-party-affiliated members of Congress who voted Tuesday to nix parts of the Patriot Act on grounds that they let the government intrude too much on individual privacy in the name of national security.

A tea party message in Patriot Act defeat: We're about more than taxes
Two vulnerable senators, two opposite paths on tea party
"House blocks renewal of Patriot Act. Some of these tea party guys aren't insane after all," tweeted Armon Dadgar, a resident of Kirkland, Wash.

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas and newcomer Rep. Raúl Labrador of Idaho were among eight in the Tea Party Caucus to vote against extending certain surveillance measures contained in the Patriot Act, joining with 18 other Republicans and most House Democrats to prevent their reauthorization – at least for now. Liberal Democratic lawmakers, in particular, have long derided parts of the Patriot Act as sacrificing civil liberties.

But the vote also shows that some tea-party Republicans are willing to buck GOP orthodoxy to stand up for principles – even if those principles happen to be shared by the likes of liberal Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D) of Ohio, says political scientist Charles Franklin at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Mr. Kucinich called specifically on the Tea Party Caucus in the House to vote down the Patriot Act measures. As it was, 44 of 52 members of the Tea Party Caucus voted to extend the act's domestic spying provisions.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/ ... be-friends

[SeaGypsy]

Scant detail so far Mat. It would be great to see a true renewall of constitiutional government; whatever coalition might bring it about.

[Loki]

Great news, but not terribly surprising. Anyone who's actually listened to what the Tea Party and Ron Paul actually say know that they are more than the racist, warmongering "teabaggers" that liberal partisans smear them as. They are certainly a better bulwark against both the internal police state and the imperial war machine than the Democrats have proven to be.

Reminder, Obama voted for the Patriot Act, something those who voted for him seem blissfully unaware of. This great "peace candidate," winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, has also declared the US military budget to be off limits when it comes to budget cutting. Ron Paul has called for a massive reduction in the Pentagon budget for years, and many Tea Party legislators are following suit.

[Revi]

Maybe we have more in common than we think. I am a left leaning person who was against the Iraq war from the beginning. I was for the Afghan war because they messed with us. The Patriot Act was bad from the beginning. They must have had it ready, because they rolled it out really soon after 9/11. More and more I find that I have common cause with some of the tea party Republicans.

[Ludi]

More and more I find that I have common cause with some of the tea party Republicans.

Me too, but I insist they leave my uterus alone and not make it property of the state.

[Cloud9]

Ludi please don’t take offense, but I don’t give a whoop about your uterus. I do give a hoot about an ever expanding intrusive government

[Ludi]

Ludi please don’t take offense, but I don’t give a whoop about your uterus.

Because you don't have one.

I bet you care about your guns/testicles.

[Tyler_JC]

In order to have any impact on abortion rules, Congress would need to pass a law over Obama's veto. Then the law would have to survive the Supreme Court.

That's 290 votes in the House and 67 in the Senate.

Republicans only have 241 seats in the House, and not all of those would vote to ban abortion. They only have 47 seats in the Senate.

So the GOP can make noises but they have ZERO ability to actually ban it.

[highlander]

the house is going to vote on this again. this time they only need a simple majority. If you like warrantless wiretaps, unconstitutional search and seizure, and overall expansion of the police state, then by all means, keep talking about abortion, gays in the military, gay marriage, school prayer or the simpsons.

[Ludi]

So the GOP can make noises but they have ZERO ability to actually ban it.

It's the thought that counts. That Republicans/Tea Party want to take away the privacy and personhood of women is enough to make me mistrust them. Privacy and personhood is apparently a trivial issue to some people. One's phone conversations are apparently more important than one's body. The comments in this thread do not inspire confidence in Republicans/Tea Party.

[SeaGypsy]

I bet 90% of male American Lifers would not choose to ban contraception. Funny how a man always has the right to use a condom, often makes the choice not to, then wants the right to dictate what happens to his 'accidental' progeny. Also how many men expect that because the female pill exists, their woman should take it (in preference to him using a condom) regardless of the many health risks and implications of the pill. There is already a rising worldwide black market for RU 486, the abortion pill; criminalising abortion will make this black market extremely profitable. It will not prevent abortions happening. Back to the good old days of coathanger wire and punches to the lower abdomen?

I have a lot of Tea Party friends, some are very good friends. The singular critique seems to apply to most of their thinking; it's all black and white; no shades of gray. This sits well with fundamentalists and simpletons but is jarring to more intelligent and broadminded folks. America is still struggling to grasp what the native people tried to teach; walk 3 days in my shoes before judging me and you cannot eat money. The 'Great Circle' relationship with nature and others has been thoroughly smashed in the USA, a place where this relationship was beautifully elaborated, perhaps more so than anywhere. There is no political party or splinter group even, who see the urgency of healing the balance with nature and reflect this is their policies. The 'Natural Law' lobby is the only one coming anywhere near having the right framework, but even they tend to be shallow conceptually and money driven.

[highlander]

And while we exercise our right for free expression, the house extends the patriot act. but heck, who cares, we can still argue over which party is full of dullards, or which TV show makes us dumber.

[Ludi]

And while we exercise our right for free expression, the house extends the patriot act. but heck, who cares, we can still argue over which party is full of dullards, or which TV show makes us dumber.

So what do YOU want to do about it?

General strike? I'll go on a general strike if you do.

[Serial_Worrier]

Great news, but not terribly surprising. Anyone who's actually listened to what the Tea Party and Ron Paul actually say know that they are more than the racist, warmongering "teabaggers" that liberal partisans smear them as. They are certainly a better bulwark against both the internal police state and the imperial war machine than the Democrats have proven to be.

Reminder, Obama voted for the Patriot Act, something those who voted for him seem blissfully unaware of. This great "peace candidate," winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, has also declared the US military budget to be off limits when it comes to budget cutting. Ron Paul has called for a massive reduction in the Pentagon budget for years, and many Tea Party legislators are following suit.

Keep smearing away you vile creep.

[highlander]

So what do YOU want to do about it? General strike? I'll go on a general strike if you do.

I'm sure the US is too fractured to ever go that route, but there are at least 179 other things we can do.

[Kristen]

It just proves my point that political opinions are too complex to be split into only two or three categories. Unfortunately, the human mind seems to prefer such perversity.

[Ludi]

It just proves my point that political opinions are too complex to be split into only two or three categories. Unfortunately, the human mind seems to prefer such perversity.

I don't know about the "human mind." Maybe the American mind! Other countries manage to have many political parties....

[Sixstrings]

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.

Obama said he was pleased the act had been extended.

"It's an important tool for us to continue dealing with an ongoing terrorist threat," he said after a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/27/patriot-act-extension-signed-obama-autopen_n_867851.html#comments

Hm.. so another extension. Another midnight vote, House and Senate votes "in rapid succession" with no time for debate. And to top it all off, since Obama is in France the "autopen" signed it into law.

[mattduke]

Machine Signs President's Signature To Patriot Act
A glorious day in American History.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxaTgAjqHng

[EOTWAWKI]

Very appropriate