Patriot Act Renewed

Congress Renews Patriot Act WASHINGTON -- The House renewed the USA Patriot Act in a cliffhanger vote Tuesday night, extending a centerpiece of the war on terrorism at President Bush's urging after months of political combat over the balance between privacy rights and the pursuit of potential terrorists. [Wired]

Republicans on Tuesday declared the legislative war won, saying the renewal of the act's 16 provisions along with new curbs on government investigatory power will help law enforcement prevent terrorists from striking.

The Patriot Act, as I have long held, is a bad law. It is badly crafted, badly implemented and badly understood by both law enforcement and the public. It should have been allowed to expire so that the desires for strong enforcement can be properly implemented and balanced with the (proper) concerns of civil liberties. The renewal does nothing to address these concerns and will further muddy the waters for generations to come.