Truthdig says

: Only nine Democrats and one Independent voted against the most sweeping abridgement of American freedoms in a generation. Some of the heroes: Jim Jeffords, Russ Feingold, Robert Byrd… Some of the villains: Hillary Clinton, Barbara Boxer, Barack Obama… Follow the link below and read to the bottom of this AP story for the full list.

AP WASHINGTON – The Senate’s passage of the USA Patriot Act hands President Bush a victory in his troubled second term and allows the Republicans to polish their tough-on-terror image for the midterm elections.

The 89-10 vote on Thursday was months overdue and came only after a Democrat-led filibuster that attracted GOP support forced Bush to accept modest curbs on the government’s power to investigate suspects in terror probes.

Full story

Truthdig says:

The renewal includes some modest curbs on the original bill’s excesses. Still, it passed 89-10, which is surprising, considering (a) the uproar over Bush’s warrantless eavesdropping scandal; (b) his abysmally low approval ratings.

 WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...

This year, the ground feels uncertain — facts are buried and those in power are working to keep them hidden. Now more than ever, independent journalism must go beneath the surface.

At Truthdig, we don’t just report what's happening — we investigate how and why. We follow the threads others leave behind and uncover the forces shaping our future.

Your tax-deductible donation fuels journalism that asks harder questions and digs where others won’t.

Don’t settle for surface-level coverage.

Unearth what matters. Help dig deeper.

Donate now.

SUPPORT TRUTHDIG
In this Article:
#america#democrats#patriot act#republicans#terrorism#victory