Gonzales Faults Senate Version of Patriot Act Legislation

[Rose Siding]

Tuesday, August 30, 2005; Page A09

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales yesterday criticized a Senate bill that would place new restrictions on law enforcement in the USA Patriot Act, saying the legislation would hamper the government's ability to prevent terrorist attacks.

Gonzales, during a meeting with editors and reporters at The Washington Post, said he favors a competing House version of the antiterrorism law that includes fewer restrictions on the government.

"I have a personal preference for the House version," Gonzales said. "There are certain provisions of the Senate version that make it more difficult to protect our country." He said he was hopeful that "at the end of the day . . . we will have a conference bill" that is closer to the House version of the legislation.

Gonzales's remarks represent the administration's sharpest criticism of the Senate legislation, which was approved by unanimous consent of the GOP-controlled Senate and co-sponsored by the influential chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.). Until now, Justice Department officials have signaled their preference for the House bill while avoiding explicit criticism of the Senate version.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/29/AR2005082901434.html

[Charlie Brown]

1. You have got to be kidding me

"Gonzales said yesterday that the Senate bill's tighter provisions would make it too difficult for investigators to conduct secret searches or obtain "roving wiretaps" in terrorism investigations. He also said the threshold for obtaining business records, including those held by libraries, would be set too high by the Senate bill."

And this is a bad thing? Sheesh, why would any sane person support powers like this?

[wli]

2. any politician voting for the PATRIOT Act should be tried in the Hague

It's a crime against humanity in and of itself.

[Rex]

3. Torture boy wants to protect us?

Yeah RIGHT! I trust this guy LESS than I trusted the Crisco Kid!

[54anickel]

4. Oh, so that explains the polling regarding the Patriot Act

Heh, Gonzales says no abuses have been documented. What was that earlier thread about the information obtained by the ACLU on some of the records they have on protestor groups and such?

Funny, there's no documented proof that it's helped catch a single terrorist either.