<H4>Democrats sell out on civil liberties again</H4>

The Senate Intelligence Committee’s 11-4 vote to approve giving the FBI more subpoena-less search powersis the latest proof of that.

And listen to the lame justification for this:

Some senators who voted 11-4 to move the bill forward said they would push for limits on the new powers the measure would grant to law enforcement agencies.”This bill must be amended on the floor to protect national security while protecting Constitutional rights,” said Sen. Barbara Mikulski D-Md. Ranking Democrat Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., supported the bill overall but said he would push for limits that would allow such administrative subpoenas “only if immediacy dictates.”

The ACLU notes these major concerns :

1. Makes permanent Patriot Act powers without safeguards.
2. Does not provide adequate safeguards to protect library and other private records.
3. Eliminates prior court review of FBI library and other private records demands for intelligence gathering purposes.
4. Strikes an existing First Amendment safeguard for records search powers.
5. Further expands time limits for FISA surveillance.
6. Exacerbates using FISA as “end-run” around stricter safeguards for criminal surveillance.
7, Creates new statutory authority for intelligence investigators to track mail of ordinary citizens.
8. Expands greatly the amount of information obtained without probable cause through Internet surveillance.

A Reuters article offers some hope:

the Senate Judiciary Committee, which also has oversight authority on the Patriot Act and related legislation, was expected to assume control of the measure as part of its own reauthorization proceedings.

Of course, it also shows how big business keeps its own ass covered:

Roberts and Rockefeller said the bill would provide more safeguards under a provision of the Patriot Act that allows federal authorities to subpoena business records.

Meanwhile, Democrats also appear to have no problem with Intelligence Chairman Pat Roberts holding secret meetings left and right to grease the skids for approval of this disaster.