Senate To Reconsider Wiretap Immunity

bughunter passes on a report from Wired Threat Level about the effort by Democratic lawmakers to roll back some provisions of the Patriot Act. Three of its provisions expire at the end of this year, and the reform attempt is expected to be attached to legislation to renew them. "Lawmakers are considering key changes to the Patriot Act and other spy laws — proposals that could give new life to lawsuits accusing the nation's telecommunications companies of turning over Americans' electronic communications to the government without warrants. On Oct. 1, the Senate Judiciary Committee likely will consider revoking that immunity legislation as it works to revise the Patriot Act and other spy laws with radical changes that provide for more government transparency and more privacy protections." Among the other likely goals of reform efforts, according to Wired, are limiting the government's power to issue National Security Letters, and limiting "black bag" searches to cases of spying or terrorism — 65% of past searches were authorized in drug cases.

Show of Hands

[whisper_jeff]

I'd like to see a show of hands - who here thinks this will actually come to pass?

Anyone? Anyone?

Yeah. That's what I thought...

Re:Show of Hands

[tcopeland]

Obligatory Onion: BREAKING: Democrats Hoping To Take Control Of Congress From Republican Minority In 2010 [twitter.com]

But what do you expect? After all, as Biden said, some of the guys he campaigned for are turkeys [joebidensaidthat.com].

Re:Related:

[ObsessiveMathsFreak]

That's impossible. As every Slashdotter knows, there is not even the slightest difference between the two main political parties in the US and voting for either one is a futile and pointless gesture serving only to perpetuate the existing corporate/military/lobbiest complex.

The idea that the Democracts are somehow going to roll back the Republican crackdown on freedoms. Or that President Obama is behaving any differently that McCain would in his place? Absurd I tell you. Absurd.

No, no. It's clear that absolutely nothing has changed in America since the end of the Bush years. Not even a little bit!

Re:Show of Hands

[corbettw]

Bwa-ha-ha-ha! You think there's a difference between Democrats and Republicans. That's too rich.

Re:Show of Hands

[spartacus_prime]

There is a stark difference. Democrats win by promising to spend your money, and Republicans win by promising NOT to spend your money, but then spend it anyway once in office.