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Despite popular and bipartisan opposition, Reid, McConnell and Boehner "made a back-room deal to reauthorize the Patriot Act for (another) four years, (containing) highly controversial surveillance provisions," one of which never was used (pertaining to "lone wolves").
The others, however, have "routinely been abused, so they ought to be reformed. But the proposed reauthorization fails to make any of the needed changes to the law. And it significantly reduces the possibility of real congressional oversight or government accountability for another four years."
As a result, the ACLU reiterated opposition to reauthorization, saying now is "the time for reform" to stop widespread civil liberty infringements.
In fact, domestic spying rose sharply under Obama, including by abusive National Security Letters (NSLs), permitting FBI and CIA officials to issue administrative subpoenas without probable cause or judicial oversight. They require targeted individuals or groups (on demand) to provide records, data or other requested information.
A Final Comment
Since taking office in January 2009, Obama exceeded George Bush's harshness, lawlessness, belligerency, and public trust betrayal, violating every major promise made.
Instead, he deferred solely to wealth and power interests at the expense of vital popular needs and rights, trashing democratic freedoms.
Extending Patriot Act provisions solidifies domestic repression at the same time America's imperial agenda denies democratic freedoms abroad - exposing a rogue president's hypocritical promise of change.
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