Another reason why I vote for Bernie

Here's an article in the Weekly Standard from the end of April slamming Bernie 
for his concern over Section 215 of the USA-PATRIOT Act:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/004/021aigav.asp


Article on Bernie's proposed amendment to prevent govt. agencies from 
demanding bookstore records and lending histories:

Jul 8, 2:58 AM (ET)

By ALAN FRAM 

WASHINGTON (AP) - Lawmakers who say portions of the USA Patriot Act went too 
far are taking aim at its provision that made it easier for investigators to 
learn what people are reading - despite a veto threat from the White House.

The House planned to vote Thursday on a proposal by Rep. Bernard Sanders, I-
Vt., that would prevent the government from using the Patriot Act to demand 
records from book stores and libraries. The election-season showdown is the 
latest over the law, which Bush has sought to expand but which Democrats and 
some conservative Republicans say has infringed on individual rights.

Sanders was planning to offer his amendment to a bill providing $39.8 billion 
next year for the departments of Commerce, Justice and State. That is $2.2 
billion more than this year's total and $240 million beyond what Bush proposed 
for 2005.


As the House debated the spending bill Wednesday, the White House budget 
office sent a memo to lawmakers warning that if an amendment "that would 
weaken the USA Patriot Act were adopted and presented to the president for his 
signature, the president's senior advisers would recommend a veto."

With Republicans controlling Congress, it is virtually inconceivable that 
lawmakers would send Bush a bill - especially in an election year - 
confronting him on a high-profile topic. Rather than an omen of an impending 
showdown, the veto threat underscored the administration's determination to 
take an aggressive stance on law enforcement and terrorism.

In a written statement afterward, Sanders fired back.

"Every American wants to fight terrorism vigorously, but they want to do it in 
a way that does not undermine basic Constitutional rights," Sanders 
said. "American citizens ... have made it very clear that they do not want the 
government monitoring their reading habits when they walk into a library or a 
bookstore."

The Patriot Act, passed after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, 
strengthened the government's surveillance and detention powers.

Sanders' target is a Patriot Act provision that lets investigators get court 
orders requiring book dealers, libraries or others to surrender records. The 
orders are issued by a special court that handles foreign surveillance 
intelligence cases, and are easier to obtain than search warrants or 
subpoenas. 

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