The Washington Post

[Odinson]

August 2000​

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GEORGE W. BUSH
WINS REPUBLICAN NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT
"We're going to win in November and we're going to set American back on track."

Pictured is Speaker Bush (right) and his wife Laura Bush (left) on stage at the Republican National Convention in Philidelphia.
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House Speaker George Walker Bush has been elected as the Republican Nominee for the President. Speaker Bush defeated Senator John McCain after three days of wheeling and dealing at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Philidelphia. The result was Bush and his running mate, Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, securing the nomination for the Presidency and Vice Presidency of the United States. After it was announced that Bush had been formally elected he appeared on stage with his wife, Laura Bush, and his family. In the crowd were a number of prominent Republicans including Speaker Bush's father, former President and current U.S. Senator George H. W. Bush. Speaker Bush received over a minute of cheering and chanting before he was able to get control of the crowd.

Speaker Bush has recently been criticized for his more radical views on international affairs. He has called for international sanctions on Sweden, an invasion of parts of Mexico taken by drug cartels, and a more dominant and less cooperative foreign policy than the Gore Administration. Tonight, however, his speech was more moderate and only lightly touched on some of these topics. The Republican and Democratic parties have tentatively agreed that there will be three debates between the candidates before the election in November. Below is Speaker Bush's full acceptance speech at the RNC:

"Mister Chairman, delegates, and my fellow citizens, I proudly accept your nomination! Thank you for this honor. Together we will renew America's purpose. Our founders first defined that purpose here in Philadelphia. Ben Franklin was here, Thomas Jefferson, and of course George Washington - or as his friend's called him, George W.

"I am proud to have Orrin Hatch by my side. He is a man of integrity and sound judgement who has proven that public service can be noble service, America will be proud to have a leader of such character to be the next Vice President of the United States. I'm grateful for Senator John McCain. I appreciate so very much his speech two nights ago. I appreciate his friendship. I love his spirit for America. And I want to thank the other candidates who sought this office, as well. Their convictions have strengthened our party.

"I'm especially grateful tonight to my family. No matter what else I do in life, asking Laura to marry me was the best decision I ever made. To our daughters, Barbara and Jenna, we love you a lot, we're proud of you, and as you head off to college this fall, don't stay out too late, and e-mail your old dad once in awhile, will you?

"And mother, everybody loves you, and so do I. Growing up, she gave me love and lots of advice. I gave her white hair. And I want to thank my dad, the most decent man I have ever known. All my life I have been amazed that a gentle soul could be so strong. Dad, I am proud to be your son. My father was the last president of a great generation, a generation of Americans who stormed beaches, liberated concentration camps and delivered us from evil. Some never came home. Those who did put their medals in drawers, went to work and built on a heroic scale--highways and universities, suburbs and factories, great cities and grand alliances--the strong foundations of an American Century.

"Now the question comes to the sons and daughters of this achievement. What is asked of us? This is a remarkable moment in the life of our nation. Never has the promise of prosperity been so vivid. But times of plenty, like times of crises, are tests of American character. Prosperity can be a tool in our hands, used to build and better our country. Or it can be a drug in our system, dulling our sense of urgency, of empathy, of duty. Our opportunities are too great, our lives too short, to waste this moment.

"So tonight we vow to our nation: We will seize this moment of American promise. We will use these good times for great goals. We will confront the hard issues--threats to our national security, threats or our health and retirement security--before the challenges of our time become crises for our children. And we will extend the promise of prosperity to every forgotten corner of this country. To every man and woman, a chance to succeed. To every child, a chance to learn. To every family, a chance to live with dignity and hope. 'America's Way Is the Rising Road'.

"I commend President Gore for his actions to pull our country together on that dark day we all remember. But where are we now? Have we moved forward, have we found all of those who were responsible for that attack? Is America's purpose in the world clear? It's in times like this that we need strong and moral leadership more than ever. America's leadership needs to keep promises made, not make excuses. We need to have a clear path forward to reach our greatest potential.

"Once I am sworn in as President we will have decisive action taken to strengthen our military footing abroad. We will take decisive action to hamper crime at home. We will find every single conspirator from the attack on Washington and bring them to justice, in the United States. Abroad we will not work with those countries who were plotting against us just months ago. We will be a global leader and preserver of democracy and liberty around the world. We will also send troops to the southern border and, if necessary, protect our territory and our people from those drug dealers and thugs who are fighting their own government in the desert.

"Moreover, Americans have not paid higher taxes since World War Two. Now we find ourselves with a surplus and a government afraid to return that money to the American people or, God forbid, lower their taxes. My administration will take less of your hard-earned money, spend less of it, and what we do use will be done on programs that are important and necessary for our nation, her people, and our children.

"Americans live on the sunrise side of the mountain. The night is passing. And we are ready for the day to come.
God bless America."​

 

[Odinson]

October 2002​

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'PATRIOT ACT' RECONSIDERED BY CONGRESS
The bill has bipartisan support in Congress as experts and citizen groups debate if
it is a legitimate tool to ensure national security or a threat to American civil rights.

Protests have erupted across the nation with supporters and detractors taking to the streets.
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Hundreds of thousands of Americans have taken to the streets across the United States to use their First Amendment rights to protest for, or against, the "Patriot Act." Right-wing protest groups such as Patriot Front have organized protests - some of which have turned into riots - across the United States. Patriot Front leadership have given multiple interviews where they have expressed their disapproval for the Patriot Act, while left-wing groups like the Progressive Alliance have organized counter protests. Some left-wing groups support the act, while others have showed up en masse to oppose the presence of Patriot Front members. At some protests, such as the recent one in Richmond that turned into riots, some demonstrators focused more on their opposition to the other protest groups then actually expressing their interest in the Patriot Act. However, in order to understand this situation, one needs to understand the Patriot Act.

In response to the attack on the Capitol in 1997 and follow-up attempt by Dick Cheney and other conspirators to perform a "soft coup," the House of Representatives wrote a bill which would give federal agencies sweeping powers to monitor Americans internet usage, phone history, email, and physical mail without a court order. The three-thousand page act would have also given the Department of Justice and the National Security Agency almost unrestricted access to bank and credit records for any American that has ever been convicted of a crime.

The original bill failed last September in the Senate, but it has now been reintroduced to Congress with bipartisan support and some additions. As of now, federal law requires the CIA to not conduct operations within the United States unless it is directly assisting or working with a federal law enforcement agency. However, one of the new amendments to the Patriot Act would authorize the CIA to conduct clandestine operations within the United States "under grave circumstances and in order to prevent acts of terrorism." The act would also allow military intelligence agencies to conduct clandestine operations within the United States if it was in coordination with the CIA or a federal law enforcement agency. Finally, one of the amendments to the act targets journalists directly. On page 987 of the 1,007 page bill, a clause states that journalists who reveal warrantless wiretaps or investigate clandestine operations in the United States could be brought up under obstruction of justice charges or, depending on the outcome, terrorism charges themselves.

"The bill is a fundamental threat to every American's First Amendment rights. If this were to pass, which it looks like it will, the Federal Government will have surveillance authority on American citizens similar to that in Russia. Moreover, it won't just be the Department of Justice. The CIA will be able to look through your bank records, your email, and possibly investigate claims against Americans or people in the United States with, or without, the knowledge of the FBI or local police. The CIA will instantly become the most powerful federal agency in the United States. Americans will lose their right to privacy overnight; this will have massive consequences in our legal system and Americans views on our government for decades to come. This act is unconstitutional, but even if it is partly overturned by the Supreme Court, I'm worried what parts won't be and also how long that will take," Harvard Law professor Richard Pinkman said.

"What this bill will do is keep America safe," said University of Texas law Professor Zacharia Stevenson. "On the surface I can see how the law would look scary to a layman. But, once one reads it, it is clear that all of the controversial provisions are only allowed under extreme circumstances and with permission from higher authorities such as federal judges, the Attorney General, or the President. What this bill would do is force federal agencies to work more closely together and also give the federal government a chance at preventing things like the Capitol Attack from happening again. This bill is within the checks and balances required in the constitution for federal legislation. What Americans should be concerned with is whether or not they want to give their government the tools to prevent terrorism."

The Patriot Act passed the House of Representatives with a veto-proof two-thirds majority last week. If the Senate passes the bill with a two-thirds majority, the President will not be able to veto the bill and it will become federal law. The White House has declined to state if President Gore is for or against the legislation. An anonymous senior White House staffer told The Post that, "President Gore is on the fence with the Patriot Act. He is receiving significant pressure from the Democratic Party and both sides in Congress to approve the legislation. If he signs this they would be willing to agree to a lot of legislative wins." When asked for a comment, the White House sent a brief response stating that they would not respond to "unconfirmed rumors from nameless sources."

Patriot Front is a right-wing group that has made significant traction in the past two months when the bill was reintroduced to the House of Representatives. It is a grassroots movement that has leadership who are ordinary citizens including veterans, tradesmen, and some white-collar workers. The group's leadership has declared its strong opposition to the Patriot Act multiple times and has organized protests around the country, and in Washington, to oppose the bill. One of the leaders of the group, Charles Walworth, said, "This kind of legislation could lead to another American Revolution." Patriot Front has not just organized protests, but has given clothing to protestors such as headscarves, armbands, and t-shirts that identify protestors with the group. Patriot Front has also, according to charges from the New York Police Department, given protestors "shields" and "batons" to intimidate or fight opposing protestors with.

The Progressive Alliance is a left-wing group that has planned counter-protests at almost every major Patriot Front protest. Their leadership is unorganized and constantly changing, and they have hesitated to make statements that speak for the entire group. The Progressive Alliance is made up of individuals from a wide range of left-wing groups from environmentalists and civil rights activists to hardline socialist and anti-religion groups. Some members have openly expressed support for the bill with others have condemned it, but virtually all of the ones interviewed by The Post expressed their disapproval and opposition to the Patriot Front. The Progressive Alliance has started to take more aggressive measures at their protests by employing similar means as the Patriot Front.

Both groups have started a number of protests in the Northeast, and both have organized several small protests in Washington. Patriot Front leader Charles Walworth pledged to bring 50,000 protestors to Washington before the Senate votes on the bill "in order to make our voice heard." Progressive Alliance leaders have made similar statements as well. District of Columbia Mayor Anthony Williams released a written statement which said in part, "The District supports every American's right to protest peacefully. The District will work closely with the Capitol Police, the Secret Service, and the FBI to make sure that any protests in the coming week is peaceful and safe for everyone involved." Yesterday at the National Mall, 3,000 Patriot Front protestors gathered to listen to Charles Walworth speak.

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