The red/blue coalition and the Patriot Act

The RB coalition has bridged the gap,temporarily when the House voted down 3 elements of the dangerous Patriot Act.
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Tea partiers and Dem. liberal civil-libertarians joined forces yesterday on NOT extending 3 dangerous parts of the Bush Patriot Act:
The 3 provisions that were set to expire were:
"... the "roving" wiretaps, the authority to surveil individuals with no connection to Terrorist groups (the "lone wolf" provision), and the power to obtain "any tangible items" (the "library records" power).."

The red/blue, left/right coalition voted them down because the procedual vote needed 2/3rds approval. So this victory is only temporary.

The library records intrusion had many examples, and the librarians fought back. A basic civil right is to be able to borrow books,and use the public libraries' resources, without fear of retribution from the State.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2011...

And our upstate new GOP Congressman Gibson voted with the RB coalition and here is his statement:

“The federal government’s foremost responsibility is the safety of its citizens. I have spent a lifetime defending our cherished way of life, and we must always remain vigilant in our mission to protect our freedoms. Al Qaeda and affiliated terrorist networks remain an existential threat to the United States and all freedom-loving nations around the world. From my seat on the Armed Services Committee, I will work tirelessly to better organize to neutralize and defeat that threat.

“I have long been critical of the PATRIOT Act, because I believe that in the process of defending our liberties, we should not step on them. We must stay within the confines of the Constitution, particularly the Bill of Rights and the 4th Amendment. Going forward, the PATRIOT Act must be revised to ensure US citizens are protected by our constitutional rights. The Executive Branch must be checked, and I believe the provisions of this Act must fall within the jurisdiction of the FISA Court and the process for obtaining warrants should comply with the Constitution.

“I also strongly believe that our intelligence agencies and defense establishment could benefit from a reorganization to consolidate headquarters and streamline procedures to better ensure that information on potential threats is processed quickly, appropriately, and effectively. Doing more with less is a central mission of this Congress, and we are capable of a more effective national security at less cost.”

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