Ignoring Bipartisan Backlash to the Patriot Act

383 communities that represent 61 million Americans have passed resolutions demanding Congress limit the most offensively invasive provisions of the Patriot Act that tresspass on Americans' privacy rights. These include some of the "reddest," most conservative places in America like Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. Yet, incredibly, the Associated Press reports a Senate committee quietly "expanded powers [under the Act] to subpoena records without the approval of a judge or grand jury."

Democrats should be particularly ashamed of their colleagues who supported this. Privacy issues are one of the GOP's biggest vulnerabilities - especially in conservative and swing states (Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold actually aired ads in the swing state of Wisconsin trumpeting his opposition to the Patriot Act). And thanks to bipartisan legislation in the House, Democrats even have cover to go after Republicans on this issue. Yet they buckled. Will anything change?