The Republican-led House failed to pass an extension of expiring segments of the Patriot Act on Tuesday, an unexpected outcome to say the least.
Many tea party activists see the PATRIOT ACT as the federal government overreaching into private persons affairs. The provisions in question will lapse Feb. 28, so what are these unrenewable conditions?
The provisions set to expire include giving federal investigators admission to a suspect's personal records, such as library receipts, enabling the government, via court order, to conduct roaming wiretaps of terrorism suspects as they change phones or locations and to conduct surveillance on foreign terrorism suspects who are not affiliated with known groups, this is the so called "lone wolf" provision. The last one alone gives the right to scrutinize almost anyone.
The White House on Tuesday said in a statement that it "does not object" to extending the three Patriot Act provisions until December 2011 although it "would strongly prefer" an extension until December 2013, so much for hope and change.
If the TEA Party movement has ever done anything good for the country, this may be it. The vote in the house turned out the way it did, in part, due to the Republicans TEA Party offshoot.
This is a pivotal moment of choice for both TEA Party and conventional GOP members. Do they stick to the civil liberty and small government attitude that the TEA partiers bring to the table, or do they stick to the Ronald Reagan standard attitude and decide with defense.
Only time will tell, but if you write Congress people and/ or Senators, now is the time.
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