The Empire Strikes Back...

Over the past couple of weeks the Republicans have been on the offensive concerning the War on Terrorism, and more specifically, Iraq.

The President has made four speeches at various locations around the country, talking about his strategy for victory, (something the Democrats have yet to offer...) and he has published a 35 page document outlining his Iraq plan.

He even admitted that some of the intellegence that the war in Iraq was based upon was faulty, and accepted responsibility for going to War based on this intelligence, diffusing the "Bush will never admit to making a mistake" arguement, without providing a soundbite that could be used against Republicans in future elections. Then he continued on to say that he still did the right thing, which is the truth. (Ask any Iraqi citizen.) (Insurgent Suicide Bombers don't count.)

Things have been looking good for Republicans and the President.

Until today.

(You didn't expect the Democrats to take all of this lying down, did you?)

Today an article was published in the New York Times (Al-Jazeera America...) saying that the President secretly lifted some restrictions on spying on Americans in the weeks and months following 9/11.

Well, DUH...

If he hadn't, it would have been an impeachable offense.

A couple of things that the article in the Al-Jazeera America Times fails to mention are that it has been OVER FOUR YEARS since we have had a Terrorist attack on U.S. Soil, and that is just over the amount of time that the Patriot Act has been in force, and that the author of the article has a book coming out in ten days, and that this allegation is a chapter in that book.

This article in part led to this atrocity.

The Democrats in the Senate today filibustered an attempt to make 16 key provisions of the Patriot Act permanent. The final vote was 52 to 47, which means that the measure would have passed, had it not had to pass the filibuster attempt. (Note: The American Voters put enough Republican Senators in the Senate to pass this measure. The Democrats with the help of a handfull of Maverick Moderate Republicans have again usurped power from the American People by using the filibuster rule.) (Aren't you glad you live in a Democracy?)

Bill Frist changed his vote at the last moment, choosing to vote with the prevailing side so that he could then call for a re-vote at any time. The Press called this a "Proceedural Maneuver."

So Senator Frist voting with the prevailing side in order to re-present the issue is portrayed as a "Dirty Trick" by the Media, while the de-railing of the will of the representatives of the Majority of the American People is portrayed as "a huge defeat to the Bush administration and Republican leaders." Hooray for those courageous Democrats!!

Nope. No media Bias here...

These are litterally the type of people who would burn down the house to get rid of a mouse. They must NEVER be returned to power.

So now, if nothing is done to re-instate these provisions of the Patriot Act, the Clinton Era "Gorelick Wall of Separation" is back in place, and we are again vulnerable to Terrorists operating on U.S. Soil (with the full protection afforded American Citizens by our Constitution), free to plan and carry out attacks against U.S. citizens trying to live their every-day lives, and those who would protect us from these Terrorists have their hands tied with Red Tape.

Let me ask you a question...

How has the Patriot Act affected you? (Not "How COULD it affect you", not "How could it affect your neighbor", not "How could it be mis-used by future Administrations", How HAS it affected YOU?")

Do you really care if anyone is keeping track of what books you are reading? (If so, then buy your books with cash, and don't check them out of a Library...)

Is there anything incriminating in your e-mails or phone calls? (If so, then you are a criminal, and deserve to be caught, and punished.)

Is it really so bad, and is it really an infringement on your Civil Rights if the FBI, CIA and NSA (No Such Agency) share their information amongst each other in the name of our National Security?

I'll tell you how the Patriot Act has affected you.

It has prevented another "9/11" for over FOUR YEARS.

If we are attacked again because we have taken these tools away from those who would protect us, we know who to blame.

What do you think the next target will be?

Will it be worth it to the Democrats?