Bush warns of dangers in Patriot Act delay

Reuters/Adam Entous | December 22 2005

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Brushing aside criticism of their aggressive tactics in the war on terrorism, President George W. Bush and top officials accused Senate Democrats on Wednesday of putting the United States at risk by blocking the reauthorization of key anti-terrorism legislation.

Democrats countered that Bush and the Republican leadership in the Senate were to blame for refusing to temporarily extend the Patriot Act provisions in order to give lawmakers more time to negotiate a compromise to better protect civil liberties.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, said: "What is wrong is for the White House to manipulate this into a partisan fight for its partisan political advantage."

With the legislation in limbo as Patriot Act provisions are set to expire on December 31, Bush came before cameras to accuse senators of endangering America by blocking a law vital to the fight "against brutal killers."

Bush, however, made no mention of the four senators in his Republican Party -- Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Larry Craig of Idaho, John Sununu of New Hampshire and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska -- who joined most Democrats last week in blocking the bill.

"This obstruction is inexcusable," he said of Senate Democrats, who are using a procedural maneuver known as a filibuster to block renewal of provisions of the Patriot Act, a centerpiece of Bush's response to the September 11 attacks.

Bush singled out Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada for attack, saying he recently "boasted about killing the Patriot Act."

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff also issued dire warnings.

"If the impasse continues, when Americans wake up on January 1, we will not be as safe," Gonzales told reporters at the Justice Department.

Chertoff agreed: "We're going to wake up on January 1 and we will have left some of the most important weapons against terror in the cupboard, unavailable to be used by our front line defenders."

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