House limits Patriot Act rules on library records

[scottopic]

http://www.pennlive.com/newsflash/topstories/index.ssf?/base/politics-6/1118872252132080.xml&storylist
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/06/16/patriotact.libraries.ap/index.html

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a slap at President Bush, lawmakers voted Wednesday to block the Justice Department and the FBI from using the Patriot Act to peek at library records and bookstore sales slips.

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baby steps...

Comments

[cmpriest.livejournal.com]

your icon ... it hurts me, even as it makes me smile ;-)

[ladykatza.livejournal.com]

several different administrations have tried to do this, and every time it was shot down.

and that always ends up being the beginning of people really taking notice.

don't...fuck...with...librarians.

[unrepentant.livejournal.com]

Anyone ever looks at our bookshelves, my wife and I'll end up with more federal indictments...

[empressrouge.livejournal.com]

YAY!!!! we're standing our ground...

[hdiandrew.livejournal.com]

Can't even agree that it's a baby step. As I understand the way the House structured this, it is an appropriations bill subject to a presidential veto. Thus, instead of actually saying, "We will not a pass a law that so utterly and grossly violates basic rights," they instead said, "We will take a cop out that Bush can veto, leaving the gross violation of human rights in place but pretending that we care."

Democrats and Republicans combined to create a meaningless bit of legislation, fully understanding that it will not stand, when in fact that could've removed the offending parts from the Patriot Act altogether. Not even baby steps - more like an attempt to hand us a pacifier and then crawl away while we aren't looking.

I will happily admit to being wrong if the House and Senate override the veto, but I don't think there's much chance of that happening