Tea Party Anger at Michele Bachmann Explodes over Patriot Act Votes

Tea Party Anger at Michele Bachmann Explodes over Patriot Act Votes

By Jim Cook
irregulartimes.com

Four times in just one week Michele Bachmann, a Congresswoman from Minnesota and self-appointed Chair of the Congressional Tea Party Caucus, voted in favor of the big-government surveillance, search and seizure powers of the Patriot Act. On February 8, Rep. Bachmann voted in favor of reauthorizing Patriot Act with no amendments or committee consideration allowed. On February 10, Bachmann voted to bring Patriot Act reauthorization back to the House floor, despite the fact that it had just been voted down. On the evening of Valentine’s Day, Michele Bachmann rejected a motion to follow House Rules and send the Patriot Act to the appropriate committees so members could propose sensible reforms. A few minutes after that, Bachmann voted YES to support final passage of the Patriot Act’s renewal in the House. All of these votes operated under conditions that permitted no amendments, no compromise, no reform, and mere minutes of debate.
There are a lot of rank-and-file members of the Tea Party who are not happy about this. They harkened to her words last year as she inaugurated the Tea Party Caucus in Congress:

George Washington once said, “The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon.” Sadly, it seems today that the Constitution is no longer at the forefront guiding Congress…. I called for a Tea Party Caucus to bring Members’ attention to the cries of everyday Americans who are asking for a return to the fundamental principles contained within our nation’s greatest document, the Constitution.
Americans from all locations and backgrounds have united through Tea Parties to spread the timeless messages of fiscal responsibility and limited government. And I have talked to many people who felt discouraged because no one in Washington D.C. seemed willing to listen. This caucus will change that sentiment and ensure the voices of the people are carried through the halls of Congress.

Tea Party Americans are asking themselves how the same Michele Bachmann could just months later issue four rapid-fire votes in favor of the Patriot Act, which lets government agents spy on, search and seize the property of people who have nothing to do with terrorism and when there is no probable cause to suspect them of involvement in a crime. “Probable cause” may seem like a familiar phrase to you — it’s the standard that must be met according to the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It’s the same Constitution that Michele Bachmann wrapped herself in last year, the same Constitution that she’s discarded like used toilet paper.

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