USA PATRIOT Act & Nerve Gas Alarms

Are there really just three U.S. Senators willing to stand up for our civil liberties and the Bill of Rights? Have we really come down to three?

Only Sens. Jim Jeffords, I-Vt., and Robert C. Byrd, R-W.Va., supported Feingold on Thursday's vote to stop what Frist had characterized as a filibuster preventing the Senate from acting on the legislation [USA PATRIOT act renewal]. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., did not vote.

Where the heck were the remaining Democrats? Where were the GOP members concerned about big government intrusion?

I can't help but feel that this sellout of our constitutional protections is related to the Feb 8 false nerve gas attack alarm at the Senate's Russell Office Building. That must have been pretty frightening for the 200 Senators and staff members who were held in a parking garage while the nerve gas scare was checked out. Perhaps such terrifying experiences make Senators more likely to vote to strip our rights in exchange for the promise of more security.

Certainly, there was a stiffer resistance to renewing the onerous USA PATRIOT act before that false alarm than afterwards. The Capitol Police should really fix those sensors in the Senate, because those false alarms are affecting our civil rights.

Reminds one of the last time the USA PATRIOT act was up for debate in the Senate, in 2001. That's when prominant Democrats were sent letters containing anthrax later traced to U.S. government labs. Oh yeah, three of Feingold's staffers were exposed too.

Anthrax in the mail certainly influenced the debate and added to the climate of fear in the Capitol building itself. Now, at least it's just a false alarm. Or maybe it's just a warning.