The Senate Friday, Dec. 16, 2005, rejected attempts to reauthorize several provisions of the USA Patriot Act, dealing a huge defeat to the Bush administration and Republican leaders. Senator Russ Feingold, D-Wis., center, threatened to fillibuster the measure. Flaning Sen. Feingold uring a news conference after the vote are Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., left, and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

In a stinging defeat for President Bush, Senate Democrats blocked passage Friday of a new Patriot Act to combat terrorism at home, depicting the measure as a threat to the constitutional liberties of innocent Americans. Republicans spurned calls for a short-term measure to prevent the year-end expiration of law enforcement powers first enacted in the anxious days after Sept. 11, 2001. “The president will not sign such an extension,” said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and lawmakers on each side of the issue blamed the other for congressional gridlock on the issue.

The Senate voted 52-47 to advance a House-passed bill to a final vote, eight short of the 60 needed to overcome the filibuster backed by nearly all Senate Democrats and a handful of the 55 Republicans.

“We can come together to give the government the tools it needs to fight terrorism and protect the rights and freedoms of innocent citizens,” said Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., arguing that provisions permitting government access to confidential personal data lacked safeguards to protect the innocent.

“We need to be more vigilant,” agreed Sen. John Sununu, a Republican from New Hampshire, where the state motto is “Live Free or Die.” He quoted Benjamin Franklin: “Those that would give up essential liberty in pursuit of a little temporary security deserve neither liberty nor security.”

But Frist likened the bill’s opponents to those who “have called for a retreat and defeat strategy in Iraq. That’s the wrong strategy in Iraq. It is the wrong strategy here at home.”

And who were the Republicans who voted against the President?:

Larry Craig of Idaho

Chuck Hagel of Nebraska

Lisa Murkowski of Alaska

John Sununu of New Hampshire

voted to block the measure. Frist initially voted to advance the bill, then switched to opposition purely as a parliamentary move that enables him to call for a second vote at some point in the future.

Here is their contact information courtesy of Hugh Hewitt:

Here’s the contact info:

Craig, Larry- (R – ID) Class II
520 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2752
Web Form: craig.senate.gov/email/

Hagel, Chuck- (R – NE) Class II
248 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4224
Web Form: hagel.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home

Murkowski, Lisa- (R – AK) Class III
709 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6665
Web Form: murkowski.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Sununu, John- (R – NH) Class II
111 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2841
Web Form: www.sununu.senate.gov/webform.html

All contact info for all senators is here.

The Senate switchboard is 202-225-3121.

Hewitt’s post is here.

This is another failure of Bill Frist’s leadership but the Republican defections should be remembered at Republican Primary time.

Give them a telephone call on Monday and ask the good Senators why they voted against America and FOR the terrorist bad guys.

Flap does NOT feel safer tonight.

Update #1

With a failure of the Senate to vote for reauthorization of the Patriot Act, the anti-methamphetamine provisions and the Combat Methamphetamine Act die.

Note: Senator Feinstein, D-California, one of the co-sponsors of the Combat Methamphetamine Act voted against her own sponsored legislation.

But, will Bill Frist call the Patriot Act back for a vote this year/session?

Stay tuned…..