Nov. 10, 2005 - 21:27 MST

HALF A LOAF

Any progress might be a good sign - sing - song - - - - whatever. A short article from the Associated Press in today's Rocky Mountain News -- quoted in full:

HOUSE-SENATE DEAL WOULD PLACE LIMITS ON BROAD USA PATRIOT ACT

WASHINGTON --"Congress is moving to curb some of the police powers it gave the Bush administration after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, including imposing new restrictions on the FBI's access to private phone and financial records.

A budding House-Senate deal on the expiring USA Patriot Act includes new limits on federal law enforcement powers and rejects the Bush administrations request to grant the FBI authority to get administrative subpoenas for wiretaps and other covert devices without a judges approval."

Even with the changes, however, every part of the law set to expire December 31 would be reauthorized and most of those provisions would become permanent."

"Under the agreement, for the first time since the act became law, judges would get the authority to reject national security letters giving the government secret access to people's phone and e-mail records, financial data and favorite internet sites."

" Holders of such information -- such as banks and Internet providers -- could challenge the letters in court for the first time, said congressional aides involved in merging separate , earlier-passed House and Senate bills reauthorizing the Patriot Act."

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What I gather from this in a left handed sort of way -- whatever they don't change will become permanent. Wouldn't you and I like to pick and choose just what liberties and civil rights we will give up in perpetuity, saddling our progeny and theirs for all eternity ? ? ?

I also fear that there will too many "Yeah Buts," built into the reauthorization which will hang us little guys out to dry.

I do think that there are a few wiser heads in the House and Senate than the Mocktapus biggies possess.

We'll see down the line and maybe we will get a bit of freedom after all, you know HALF A LOAF . . . . . . . . . . .

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