Way back in May, Bob Barr spoke about the Patriot Act at a debate between third-party candidates. Today, knowing that Barack Obama will be our next President, it is important to keep in mind the challenges that will face his administration and we hope he takes Barr's advice on the Patriot Act! Listen to what Barr said:
Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr released a press release yesterday criticizing Congress for approving amendments which weaken FISA’s requirements. Barr refutes the claims of lawmakers that the bill balances security and privacy, stating, "to the contrary, the bill grants the government unprecedented power to surreptitiously spy on the phone calls and emails of American citizens in our own country, so long as the government claims to believe that they are communicating with someone not in the U.S."
On Wednesday at the National Press Club, aides to Senators John McCain and Barack Obama offered a brief look of what a Department of Homeland Security might look like under each candidate. The aides spoke as staff assistants, and not for the campaigns, but their statements nonetheless offered interesting insight into the candidates' views.
Aides Offer Broad Outlines of Candidates’ Homeland Security Priorities, CQ Politics, July 10, 2008
