How Does Your Candidate Stand on the Patriot Act?

Howard Dean:

http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/PageServer?pagename=policy_statement_civilrights_patriotact

I am also deeply troubled by some provisions in the USA Patriot Act, which was enacted in the wake of 9/11 without meaningful debate. The Act gives overly broad investigative and surveillance powers to the government and strips federal courts of their traditional authority to curb abuses of power by the executive branch. Many of the Act’s provisions have little or nothing to do with combating terrorism; in fact some had been previously rejected by Congress. But the Ashcroft Justice Department took advantage of the climate of fear following the attacks to make fundamental changes in law enforcement procedures. I am concerned that this Act:

§ allows law enforcement agents to obtain information about an individual from a library, bookstore, bank, telephone company, credit card company, hotel, hospital or university without individualized suspicion and without meaningful judicial review;

§ expands the use of “sneak and peak” searches, even in non-terror cases;

§ allows the police to collect information about an individual’s internet use without a showing of probable cause;

§ allows the government to conduct wiretaps in criminal cases using the looser rules intended for intelligence investigations;

§ authorizes the Attorney General to detain immigrants based on a mere certification that there are "reasonable grounds to believe" the immigrant endangers national security.

Now the Attorney General is seeking to supplement the Patriot Act with Patriot Act II, included in the Administration’s so-called “Victory Act” proposal. Rather than expanding the Patriot Act, we should reconsider the wisdom of the original bill.

The September 11 terrorists sought to disrupt the American way of life, including our constitutional freedoms. They must not succeed. As President, I will lead the war on terror in a way that protects civil rights and civil liberties while protecting our safety. I will ensure that the United States is not merely a military or economic leader in world affairs, but a moral leader as well.

Without a doubt a very brave thing to do.

Kucinich, who is my candidate, is the only one who voted against it out of all of the 9.

I KNOW where he stands on it.

:dem: :dem:

I dont hold it against those who did, but those who said NO have a special place in my admiration and respect. He has always been the only one to vote against IWR and the patriot act, yes I know about Bob Graham but he said yes on the patriot act, so I thinks if people use this as a litmus test, then it would be Kucinich btw I dont condone that at all.

to reconsider.

hopefully we're all playing on the same team. I don't think there is a pro-PATRIOT Act candidate (now).

:dem: :dem:

I'll give Dean credit for not attacking the senate(and house) candidates on this, but many of his supporters do just that.

He hasn't said he would have voted against it either.

Edwards would reorganize intelligence for more congressional oversight and simultaneously create an office of civil liberties and civil rights as a permanant watchdog on all US government

(snip)
"We must never forget that the rights guaranteed us in the Constitution are precious, and one of the very first things that the terrorists we’re fighting would destroy. We do not need to give away our personal liberties to protect our country. We must defend our freedoms and defend ourselves against terrorism."

(snip)
"I strongly supported including a sunset provision in the Patriot Act, which will cause the Act to expire unless Congress reauthorizes it. The Bush Administration reportedly plans to introduce a second “Patriot Act” – we have learned from the first Patriot Act that the last thing we need is John Ashcroft rewriting the Bill of Rights."

www.independentsforkerry.org/uploads/media/freedom.pdf