In the days after 9/11, Americans resigned themselves to the inevitability of a series of terrorist attacks on our homeland. We tried to do whatever we could do to minimize the possibility of such an attack, but we all prepared ourselves and tried to do what we could to remain vigilant against terrorists. One element of that vigilance was the PATRIOT Act, which gave law enforcement the same kinds of power to pursue counterterrorism as they do in investigating child pornographers and organized crime suspects.

That proved to be successful; we have yet to experience another successful attack on American soil, more than four years later. After that tremendous success, when key provisions of this legislation have reached a critical expiration date, the Democrats propose to force the calendar back to 9/10 and filibuster the renewal of the PATRIOT Act:

The real fight will be later this week in the Senate, when Majority Leader Bill Frist, Tennessee Republican, plans to try to force an end to debate on the bill so it can be voted on before Congress adjourns for the year. The Patriot Act, which was modified in the bill now under consideration, expires at the end of the year.

Other key Democrats such as Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, Vermont Democrat and ranking minority member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, also have said they will support a filibuster. Four Republicans -- Sens. John E. Sununu of New Hampshire, Larry E. Craig of Idaho, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska -- said yesterday that they will join Democrats in opposing the legislation, even helping block a final vote on its passage. ...

"Last week, Democrat leadership offered a cut-and-run strategy in Iraq," Frist spokesman Bob Stevenson said. "Now they're siding with the ACLU instead of the Fraternal Order of Police in the war on terror."

If a filibuster succeeds and the two sides fail to reach a compromise that the House signs off on, the Patriot Act will expire. The campaign ads against Democrats would write themselves, Republicans said yesterday. But Democrats said they are confident that such a political strategy won't work this time. "Republicans are spinning themselves so hard, they're forgetting that there's bipartisan opposition to this bill," Reid spokesman Jim Manley said.

Really? It passed out of the House on a bipartisan vote of support, 251-174. Reid and his spokesman must have some math issues if they can't determine that Democrats in the House understand the stakes involved. The Senate Democrats have decided on yet another path for their obstructionism, this time on national security. If Democrats think that's a political winner for them, given the four-year track record of PATRIOT keeping us secure without any significant complaint of law-enforcement overreach, then they have proven once again that their party has no business being in charge of national security.

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» The PATRIOT Quadrille from Big Lizards
My head is spinning. On Tuesday, in Patriot Paroxysms, I opined: All eyes turn now to the Senate, where the biggest problems lurk. Those problems are named John Sununu (R-NH), Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Lindsay... [Read More]

Tracked on December 16, 2005 7:12 AM

» The PATRIOT Quadrille from Big Lizards
My head is spinning. On Tuesday, in Patriot Paroxysms, I opined: All eyes turn now to the Senate, where the biggest problems lurk. Those problems are named John Sununu (R-NH), Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Lindsay... [Read More]

Tracked on December 16, 2005 7:13 AM

» Victory for Islamofascist Cells! from La Shawn Barber's Corner: spilled milk under the bridge
Do we advance against terrorism to make America safer or do we retreat? - Senator Bill Frist Islamofascists hiding out in the United States must be ecstatic, visions of 72 virgins dancing in their murderous heads. Determined to undermine national se... [Read More]

Tracked on December 16, 2005 3:29 PM