Be Careful What You Say (or write)

So this is my first post about politics on my blog and with election season coming up, it probably won't be my last... New spying bill: "The legislation, which is expected to go before the House today, would expand the government's authority to intercept without a court order the phone calls and e-mails of people in the United States who are communicating with people overseas." "This bill gives the government more authority than it had under a controversial warrantless wiretapping program begun in secret after the 2001 terrorist attacks. Under that program, the government could conduct surveillance without judicial oversight only if it had a reason to believe that one party to the call was a member of or affiliated with al-Qaeda or a related terrorist organization. This bill drops that condition." I'm obviously not at all surprised that this administration would push something like this through - separation of power, judicial oversight, these types of constitutional necessities have never meant much to them in the past (though if you try to infringe on someone's "right to bear arms," all hell will break loose, never mind that the 2nd amendment actually gives one the right to bear arms within a well-regulated militia, but I digress). But while I am likely being naive, what I am somewhat surprised and very disappointed in is that the now democratic congress is more or less letting it go without a fight. Our civil liberties being trampled, another fine day in America. I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotations, which is certainly relevant in this case: "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Ben Franklin