Patriot Act

The Patriot Act was what got me into politics as a liberal. And in February, it expires. This comes after the Democrats, along with 5 sane Republicans, filibustered the hell out of it. Apparently, according to the New York Times, the law is having trouble in becoming an acceptable one for both the House and Senate (the Senate seemed to be more liberal on the bill last year). This can only pay off for Democrats.

If the law cannot get passed, it will be watered down (more respect of the constitution), or will not be given another sunset. The second option is another extension of the Patriot Act. The extension of the Patriot Act issued in December was only for a little over one month. This was simply due to the Christmas holiday, and the original expiration was Jan 2006. What I'm hoping for is for a long extension. Although I hate the law and find it unconstitutional, holding off on the vote until a new Congress is in session would have huge benefits for Democrats. Hopefully this law will be phased out soon. The courts will definitely not overturn this, especially if Alito joins their ranks. I'll keep you updated on this soon.