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It was an anti-climactic end to the great Patriot Act debate
National Review, April 10, 2006
* It was an anti-climactic end to the great Patriot Act debate. After all the heated rhetoric, opponents bowed to public will and voted for reauthorization in overwhelming numbers. The across-the-board renewal of all provisions that were scheduled to sunset is a tribute to President Bush's leadership.
The administration faced down an often slanderous anti-Patriot campaign and won a properly balanced result: one that is deferential to individual rights but understands that protection from terrorism is one of those rights. Civil-liberties protections, such as the ability to seek judicial review of demands for information, are shored up, but vital investigative improvements are preserved. The infamous "wall" that long separated intelligence and law enforcement will stay down, meaning agents will remain free to compare notes and develop a more complete picture of threats. Procedures for monitoring terrorists (including roving wiretaps) and cutting off their funding streams will remain in place. And rules for delayed notification (or "sneak and peek") search warrants have been sensibly standardized. The Patriot Act has been central to avoiding a repeat of 9/11. Its preservation is a victory for the American people.
COPYRIGHT 2006 National Review, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning
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