FISA/Patriot Act Senators Standing Up For Civil Liberties Was A Sick Joke

It was apPAULing alright. Appeasing Rand Paul and grandstanding an issue none of them had any right to do.

My barometer for judging Washington DC politicians on their statements and record regarding civil liberties is based on several key positions. Outside of racial and economic platforms, of those positions are the civil rights that fall under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and the Patriot Act and finally those for members of the LGBT community and same sex marriages.

What I found doubly amusing here was the fact that most of the Republican senators who stood with Rand Paul's filibuster act voted for both FISA and the Patriot Act. That's right.

Of the 14 republicans that stood with Rand Paul, the nine that voted for extensions of both FISA and the Patriot Act are: Barasso, Chambliss, Cornyn, McConnell, Moran, Rubio, Thune, Toomey and Wisconsin's very own dysfunctional Sen. Ron Johnson. Mister pocket-constitution himself. Civil Liberties, huh? Giggle-snort.

If civil liberties was the cause, these senators had no right to stand with Rand Paul ...AND Paul's public record on LGBT and same sex marriage clearly shows he had no right to stand up in the name of civil liberties!

By the way. There is however one Congressional who opposed both FISA and the Patriot Act extensions during Obama's terms AND whose support for civil rights within the LGBT community goes without saying - that congressional is Sen. Tammy Baldwin. If anyone has the right and authenticity to filibuster for 21st century civil liberty causes - it is she.

SOURCE:

New York Times - (May 26, 2011) House Votes Extension Of Patriot Act

House Clerk - (Sept. 12, 2012) House votes to Extend FISA

Bungalow Bill - (Feb. 17, 2011) Senators Voting to Extend Patriot Act

Irregular Times - (Dec. 29, 2012) Senators who Voted To Extend FISA