We don't need no steenkin' rights

It's looking more and more like you can wave byebye to the Bill of Rights. If Congress gets it's way, it's gone.

Thanks in no small part to the second London transit bombing in two weeks, the House yesterday approved a bill making most provisions of the Patriot Act permanent.

The Patriot act is an interesting name. You have the right as a patriot to surrender the rights and liberties you and your ancestors have fought to preserve for 250 years. Strange definition of patriotism.

And of course, it all came at the urging of the W-imbecile administration;
From today's Chicago Tribune

The bill passed on a largely partisan vote of 257-171 after the Republican-controlled House--over Democrats' objections--limited debate to less than half the proposed amendments.
In both the House and the Senate, which will take up its version of the legislation soon, the GOP majorities seem to be moving toward something less than the blanket reauthorization of the Patriot Act that President Bush has publicly urged.
Bush wants Congress to make permanent all 16 provisions of the Patriot Act that are due to expire at the end of this year. The House measure comes close, making 14 of the provisions permanent.

Judging from the recent bombings, it's easy to see how Congress can be rushed into such actions. Unfortunately, surrendering rights isn't the way to protection, because without rights, what's left to protect? Again from the Tribune

Supporters of the law said the London attacks underscored the importance of the act. Critics had said Congress should more thoroughly review and amend a law that they contended was passed in haste and could allow government abuses of privacy and civil liberties.

Can't say I feel a bit safer after the House's actions.

I just hope that the Senate will make at least a minimal effort to protect some of my liberties.

Fat chance.

And so it goes.