a new consensus appears to be emerging ... that would scale back some of the act's more controversial provisions - or at least require more judicial oversight as authorities apply the act's broad surveillance powers,says the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Provisions that are the most controversial include vastly expanded powers to access personal information such as library and medical records (and barring those who turn over the information from telling the target about it), allowing for searches of property without telling the owner (the so-called "sneak and peek" searches), and permitting "roving wiretaps" and nationwide search warrants.
At least four states and 270 communities have passed resolutions calling for parts of the TRAITOR Act to be repealed, and that sentiment appears to be growing.
A recent poll by the nonpartisan Council for Excellence in Government found that most Americans, 56 percent, considered the Patriot Act a net plus for the country. But half also expressed concern about how the act is being applied and wanted Congress to examine it carefully before deciding whether to renew its key provisions.There is legislation to undo some of the more egregious parts of the TRAITOR Act but it's unlikely to be acted on before Congress takes up renewal of the law, which House Judiciary Committee Chair James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) says won't happen before next spring. (Sidebar: Interestingly, Shrub undoubtedly knows this, which allows him to go around in his superpatriot garb, calling for action to "keep us safe," while knowing he doesn't face the risk of an actual Congressional debate on the matter.)
Footnote to the footnote: The political coalition formed to support changes in the Act includes the ACLU, the American Conservative Union, the American Library Association, and Gun Owners of America. What did I just say about strange mixtures?
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