Patriot Action for Civil Liberties
"If Democrats can't stand up on something like this when the president's poll numbers are 34 percent, I just wonder how much right we have to govern this country." -- Sen. Russ Feingold on opposing USA PATRIOT Act reauthorization.
As Sen. Feingold has pointed out, the "compromise" to reauthorize George W. Bush's PATRIOT Act still fails to protect American's civil liberties:
It doesn't prevent the government from obtaining the library, medical and other sensitive business records of people with no link to suspected terrorists.- It doesn't provide meaningful judicial review of the gag orders associated with Section 215 business records orders and National Security Letters.
- It doesn't ensure that when government agents secretly break into the homes of Americans to do a so-called “sneak and peek” search, they tell the owners of those homes in most circumstances within seven days, as courts have said they should.
Christine Cegelis, who is running against Lindy Scott and Tammy Duckworth in the March 21 primary, said she’s disappointed in the legislation.Like Sen. Feingold, Christine Cegelis understands that the security failures of 9-11 were due to a lack of information analysis, not information collection.
“We need to be more vigilant about our civil rights. Our privacy is paramount, and I don’t think we’re protecting that enough,” said Cegelis, of Rolling Meadows. ***
Both the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Library Association say the compromise is flawed. The library group contends it’s unclear what rights are protected and that library patrons’ Internet records still could be confiscated by the government.
A technology consultant, [Cegelis] argued that the government is obtaining too much data and doesn’t know how to process it."You've got to show people you believe in something, not just that you're gaming the issues." -- Sen. Russ Feingold on the renewal of the USA PATRIOT Act.
“The Patriot Act continues the problem of gathering too much unfocussed information and not bringing good intelligence,” she said. “9/11 could have been prevented if there was a better synthesis of information.”
Also from your Daily Herald:
So 6th District Democratics who oppose George Bush's USA PATRIOT Act will have a stark and simple choice in the primary: Opposition in fact or mere opposition in theory.Duckworth, a National Guard reservist from Hoffman Estates who lost her legs after her helicopter was shot down in Iraq, said she’s torn but would probably vote for the compromise. ***
Scott says he’s taking a “realistic” approach.
“The compromise does not protect all the individual rights it should, but it is a step in the right direction,” the Wheaton College professor explained.
“The Democrats, being in the minority, cannot get everything that would make it a better rule, but it is about as good as we can get right now.”
UPDATE: "Protecting Americans from our enemies while protecting the civil liberties that the original American patriots fought for and founded our country to establish sounds patriotic to me."
Hiram further explains the significance of Cegelis' position at WurfWhile.
Cross-posted at the So-Called "Austin Mayor" blog
23 comments:
So, Austin-Mayor, whose your horse in this race? -Ramsin
That's very nice, but this is IL6. I know that district. I lived there for a while. Duckworth can win in November and Cegelis cannot.
I will take Duckworth who may be wrong on some issues over Cegelis who may be right, but who will lose to Roskam, who is wrong on nearly all issues.
We have a chance to defeat a far right extremist who will make Henry Hyde look like Ted Kennedy.
It is time that Democrats stand together and win.
Skeeter,
As a resident of IL-6 -- I live there now and worked side by side the locals during the last election -- I dare suggest that I know that district as well.
And I believe that, in a District that recoils from the "Chicago Machine", Cegelis has a better chance in November than an out-of-district candidate who's funded by out-of-district money. I think that the "packaged campaign" would be a big issue in the fall, but don't just take my word for it: Grassroots, Netroots vs the Dem establishment: Duckworth, Cegelis, Scott 6th CD district battle
-- S.C.A.M.
Are you claiming the Rep. Emmanuel is part of the Chicago Machine?
The guy has a pretty good record for backing winners. For instance, he backed President Clinton.
Seems like a decent guy to me.
Forget the political campaign for a minute. For all of you fear mongers, do you really think the FBI's 5000 agents that worked homeland security really have the time to visit your local library and check what books you are checking out. This whole library arguement is so melodramatic. It is the same with the NSA wiring tapping program. I read somewhere there are about 190 billion hours of phone usage per year, the government does not have the resources to "spy" on everyone of us.
What is interesting is that we are more easily tracked by the cell phone companies than the governmental resources, yet I never hear anyone complaining that the phone company might be keeping a detailed record. You never know, Verison could easily have a file with all of your movements
Far right extremist...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHA
Skeeter, are you claiming he's not part of the machine? If you are, then you're showing how tone deaf you are.
cheers
In response to my anonymous friend:
Yes.
Rep. Emmanuel is a national figure more than a local one. He was a key player in the Clinton elections and now is providing strong leadership to Democratic Congressional campaigns.
Thanks for the insult though. It really hurt coming from somebody who will not sign a name.
Fiengold is such a sharpie. I really don't know why the Democrats have not exploited him for their gain; maybe they think he's too radical, but really he's just very sensible. I lived in Madison during his first senate run when he campaigned out of an old VW microbus. You could tell then he was very determined, smart, and serious. Taking nothing away from Barack (who's also a real star) Russ is clearly one of the Dem's gems.
Skeeter,
I am not saying that Rahm is part of the "Chicago Machine", I'm not even saying there is a Chicago Machine. But I am saying that 6th Dist voters believe that the Machine exists and that all officials elected from Chicago are part of it. It is not a particularly nuanced view of Chicago's political scene, but it may not be any more of a caricature than Chicago's view of the 6th.
Furthermore, I am guaranteeing that Roskam will campaign behind the premise that Rep. Emmanuel and his candidate are both in and of the Machine. And that message, one that appeals to ingrained, albeit misguided, stereotypes of the Democratic Party, would be a huge stumbling block in November.
That’s all I’m sayin'.
– S.C.A.M.
Skeeter = out of touch pompus windbag.
As for names, use your real name, and we'll use ours, otherwise, we're all anonymous.
More later, I work for a living.
Cheers
SCAM:
You may be right.
It is unfortunate though that they will be able to raise that argument in part because Cegelis is raising it now.
Of course we know, based upon the Chambliss experience, that if Duckworth wins, she will be branded a coward by Roskam.
It will be a fun campaign.
Duckworth will be a good soldier and follow Rahm's orders.
Anonymous said...
"Duckworth will be a good soldier and follow Rahm's orders."
Keep talking like that. Make fun of a disabled vet. Class act. No wonder you won't sign your name.
Who's making fun? You democrats are the ones who keep pointing out her injuries, no one else is. So give me a break Skeeter, or whatever your real name is.
And as for picking on a disabled vet, it was Rahm who only picked her because of her injuries...not for her position on the issues.
Duckworth is from Hoffman Estates... or one of those other bland NW Burbs.
That's hardly Omaha. It's not even downstate.
No one is going to buy the carpetbagger argument, and it's silly to bring it up all the time.
Duckworth wounds are a tangible sacrifice for her country. That doesn't make her right on everything or anything political. Ask wonded Vet that... but it counts and it's not irrelevant.
Watch her in the March C-span interview. She's not a political pro, but she's not stupid either and was interested in public policy before.
No one is going to buy the carpetbagger argument, and it's silly to bring it up all the time.
As a 6th Dist resident, I guess I must defer to the infinitely clearer view of the District granted to you by your remote vantage point out by the Fox River.
How did I ever think I might know my neighbors better than you, Bill?
Well, after her trip to NY, we'll be able to paint a good picture of Duckworth with Hillary, that'll play well in the 6th, huh skeeter? ;)
I have a broader sense of neigborhood maybe then you Austin.
As I think of it, I know more people in DuPage then Kane.
And they're Democrats too and some Cegelis supporters with signs in their front yards... none voting based on anything having solely to do with Dupage issues.
My anonymous friend:
How do you think the photos of Roskam and Cheney will look?
How about the great photos of Roskam and his good pal Tom Delay? Turns out those guys worked closely together. Who knew? Other than every person in the 6th District come November. Won't it be funny to see both Roskam and DeLay lose on the same day?
Photos of Hillary play worse in the district....but they, what a better image than two carpetbaggers together huh?
Delay doesn't play in the 6th, you really should think before you post Skeeter, you're making a fool of yourself.
Well, anon 10:02, from a neutral-in-this-petty-squabble standpoint, I am forced to ask how it is that Skeeter can make an opinion without really backing it up and be called a "fool," while you are making opinions witout backing them up and you're passing yourself off as an authority.
It's easy, thanks for asking though.
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