The vote on the Patriot Act extension was today and there was a small surprise at the end. With the three provisions set to expire February 28, lawmakers voted 277-148 in favor of legislation to renew them until December 8, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed under House rules. It is disappointing that it was not a complete and utter blow out, but it’s still nice to see they couldn’t scrounge up the votes. Of course Obama is crying that it is necessary to protect our borders and national security. The only thing that Act has done is allow the government to abuse its citizens. Hopefully that pile of garbage will stay dead and expire, though they will probably find a way to resurrect it. Continue reading →