To hear President Bush talk about the Patriot Act, the facts are cut and dry.
"My message to Congress is clear: Terrorist threats against us will not expire at the end of the year and neither should the protections of the Patriot Act," Bush told more than 100 law enforcement officers in Columbus, Ohio on June 9.
Flanked by Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, Bush said that "federal terrorism investigations have resulted in charges against more than 400 suspects, and more than half of those charged have been convicted."
Too bad it's wrong.
An analysis of the Justice Department's own list of terrorism prosecutions by the Washington Post shows that 39 people — not 200, as officials have implied — were convicted of crimes related to terrorism or national security. Most of the others were convicted of relatively minor crimes such as making false statements and violating immigration law — and had nothing to do with terrorism, the June 12 analysis shows.
Surprise, surprise. The facts don't provide enough marketing bang for renewing the USA Patriot Act, so instead, Bush and others in the administration substitute "alternate" facts.
***
Lawmakers passed the Patriot Act in 2001 just 45 days after 9/11. It allowed expanded surveillance of terror suspects, increased use of material witness warrants to hold suspects incommunicado and permitted secret proceedings in immigration cases.
Now, more than a dozen provisions are set to expire. Those provisions, among other things, provide authority for nationwide search warrants, enable the FBI and intelligence agencies to share information about terrorism cases and gave the FBI the power to obtain records in terrorism-related cases from entities such as libraries.
Bush has been pressuring Congress to make the expiring provisions permanent. His administration also is seeking greater powers for the FBI to subpoena records in terrorism investigations without the approval of a judge or grand jury.
His renewed focus came as Congress has begun working on the act's renewal amid fresh criticisms — from members of both parties — that it undermines basic freedoms. Bush and others in the administration have defended the act by pointing to "terrorism" convictions.
.jpg?t=20120527181101)
Article comments
1 - Nancy
Bush talks out of both sides of his mouth; always has. His take on 'whatever' depends on what he's pushing at the moment: at 9 a.m. we're "safer than we ever have been because of the war on terror"; by 10, we're beseiged by the unrelenting enemies of democracy, blah blah blah. I got a bumper sticker that shows W in a typical pose: with his big mouth wide open, and the legend, "If he's talking, he's lying". That pretty much says it all. What is astounding is that he will literally push both contradictory messages almost at the same time, and apparently expect us to have forgotten what he said just a few hours ago, thereby demonstrating the utter contempt by him and his admin buddies for the public he's supposed to be serving instead of conning.
2 - gonzo marx
remember the Boy Scout official that was busted using parts of the Patriot Act for having illegal porn on his home computer?
that was a Warning, folks
once Big Brother gets his hands on tools to enlarge the perogatives of a police state, he very rarely lets it go
the fact that it is a GOP Administration that is touting all this should make any decent "small government" conservative, or any Libertarian, cringe...
our civil Liberties are under assault, and most folks either don't care, or don't notice...let your elected Representatives KNOW how you feel...call, fax, send carrier pigeons
trivia Question...who said the following..
"those who would sacrifice Liberty for Security, deserve neither"
"contemplate that upon the Tree of Woe"
Thulsa Doom
Excelsior!
3 - Dave Nalle
I believe that if you look closely at Bush's specific statement he said that over half of the 400 people charged under the act had been convicted. He did not specify if the conviction was in a regular trial, or just in an immigration hearing, and he didn't specify that those charged and convicted were actual terrorists. If the act's designed to get rid of foreign undesirables it's at least marginally successful and what he said isn't incorrect.
Fortunately it may all be moot, since it looks like Congress isn't going to renew the retarded act, or is at least going to let various provisions expire.
Dave
4 - david r. mark
The quote is accurate. Bush is implying that half of the 400 alleged terrorists were convicted as alleged terrorists. The Justice Department database says otherwise.
I stand by my presentation of the facts.
5 - Dave Nalle
'Implying' is a good word. By putting the word 'terrorist' in close proximity to the information about arrests, he makes it sound like he's talking about terrorists, when what he explicitly says isn't actually about terrorists.
Dave
6 - David R. Mark
It's similar to when he talks about how Social Security is going to be "bankrupt" unless we make changes, then talks about privatization. The only conclusion that people listening can make is that privatization will provide solvency.
But the White House has admitted that's not the case. Privatization is "revenue net neutral" for 75 years. But that won't stop Bush from making his presentation, with its obvious implications.
7 - Dave Nalle
Wouldn't it be nice if the administration could just come out and say "social security is like throwing your money in a dark well. we're just going to keep that money and let you start all over again with an actual fair private system so you won't continue to be screwed in the future."
Wouldn't the AARP have a field days with that.
Dave