We in Connecticut can take some pride in our House delegation, everyone of whom voted against renewing the Patriot Act. I owe an apology to Joe Courtney, since a short while ago I predicted he’d vote the wrong way, as, in my defense, he has in the past. When they are old and grey, the National Security State is entrenched, and civil liberties are just a memory, they’ll be able to say they did the right thing, for what it will be worth at that point. In a post on this subject I can’t forget to mention our friend Atul Shah, who has knocked himself out to get these guys elected and who has been lobbying them for years to do the right thing on the Patriot Act. I can’t help but believe that Joe was thinking of Atul when he cast that vote.
It’s worth observing, as reported here, that the White House exerted intense pressure on the Senate to extend the act and lo and behold, the waters parted and Democrats and Republicans worked together toward the common goal of destroying the constitution and making the president into an Emperor. Somehow Republicans had no objection to empowering the President that they have obstructed in every other area.
It has often been observed that, in the Beltway, all news is good for Republicans. Similarly, it appears that all events are reason to ratchet up the fright and empower the National Security apparatus. In 2001 we passed the Patriot Act because Osama bin Laden was alive, and now we’re being told we have to keep it on the books because Osama bin Laden is dead.
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