QOTD: Barney Frank
by digby
“I think Rand Paul sincerely believes what he says,” Frank, the former Massachusetts Democrat, told HuffPost Live’s Alyona Minkovski. “On the other hand, my right to marry my husband is not one of the civil liberties that Sen. Paul was prepared to recognize, so I’m not ready to grant him the total crown.”
Frank said he doesn’t expect Paul’s staunch opposition to the Patriot Act and the USA Freedom Act reform effort, which aims to curb the National Security Agency’s bulk data collection powers, to be fruitful.
“What will now happen is Paul will be swept aside,” Frank said. “Paul does not want to see the USA Freedom Bill … that’s now going to get adopted over Paul’s objection.”
Frank added that Paul’s criticism of the Patriot Act did “raise the issue” and influence the overall debate.
“Rand Paul intelligently decided that his views on this are so far out of what’s achievable on this that his job is just to wave the flag, and that’s a useful role to play,” Frank said.
We’ll see what happens today. But if the McConnell backed amendments pass, they’re also going to succeed in making the USA Freedom Act a more terrible bill. If they don’t pass, then all this has succeeded in some tepid reforms which are better than nothing.
The good news, as far as I’m concerned, is that the national security establishment has had to come at least a little bit into the light. And like all creatures that live in the dark they don’t like it. That’s worth doing.
Read emptywheel if you are interested in the details.
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