Senate leaders have reached an agreement to extend the Patriot Act for 6
months so it can be examined more and possible have further protections of civil
liberties added in. The extension is twice as long as Democrats were asking for
but it is a Democrat victory none the less. It is also a victory for our civil
rights.

An interesting exchange happened during today’s press briefing when Scott
McClellan was asked about the three month extension:

Q Scott, would the President veto a three-month extension of the Patriot
Act? Is that something you can accept?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think we need to talk about what’s going on here.
What’s going on here is pure obstructionist politics. A minority in the
Senate, led by Senate Democrats, are putting politics above our nation’s
security. This bill has been thoroughly debated. It enjoys majority support.
They need to give it an up or down vote and quit playing politics with our
nation’s security.

Q So would the President veto a three-month extension?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the President has already made his views known on
that — I expressed his views last week — and nothing has changed in terms
of our views. That’s why it’s important for them to go ahead and get this
passed now.

Q So you would veto a three-month extension?

MR. McCLELLAN: I expressed our view last week; nothing has changed.

Q Can you tell me what that was again?

MR. McCLELLAN: You can see what I expressed last week. You know very well
what it was.

Q Sounds like you’re backing down from that.

MR. McCLELLAN: No, nothing has changed in terms of what I said last week.

Q So just say it. Just say —

Q Will you use the word “veto”? Why are you not using the word “veto”?

MR. McCLELLAN: I expressed our views on that last week —

Q But if you still stand by them, why won’t you reiterate it?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, again, what I said last week still stands.

Q Which is what?

MR. McCLELLAN: I talked about a short-term extension. And Senator Frist
has already said that there’s not going to be a short-term extension of
three months. And Speaker Hastert has already said it would be irresponsible
to move with a short-term extension.

Let me talk about the Patriot Act, because when it went through the
debate this year, extensive debate, in the conference committee there were
changes made to it. There were some 30 additional protections put in there
relating to civil liberties. And it seems some Senate Democrats are claiming
that’s the reason, but we now know from the leader of the Democrats in the
Senate that all they were interested in was killing it. All they want to do
is extend it in order to seek a way to weaken some of the authorities in the
Patriot Act. And that’s why I said they need to quit obstructing progress on
reauthorization of the Patriot Act and get it passed.

 

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Now the question is will the President veto a six month extension? If he does
what kind of message does that send to the American people about how the
President views our security.