The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports:
Not long ago, Bob Barr was considered Public Enemy Number One among Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee. After all, the former Georgia Republican congressman was the first to call for the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton.How many Democrats and Republicans have the courage to vote against the surveillance state?
Flash forward nine years. Same committee and many of the same Democratic lawmakers. Yet this time, lawmakers nearly fell out of their chairs to praise Barr as a "patriot."
Why? Barr appeared today before the House Judiciary Committee to testify about ways to fix new legislation sought by the White House that temporarily grants spy agencies expanded eavesdropping powers in America. (Congress passed the legislation in haste, without any public hearings, just before lawmakers left town in early August.)
Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., and Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., praised Barr for having the courage to stand up to the White House and his conservative brethren to oppose the legislation.
Barr told the panel that the changes to the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act make it possible for the federal government to order "the surreptitious interception and surveillance of virtually any electronic communication, including phone calls and e-mails, from or to any person in the United States, so long as the government reasonably believes one of the parties is "located outside of the United States.'"
That was music to most Democrats' ears. Following Barr's testimony, Conyers took the unusual action of interrupting the next speaker to give Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., the floor.
"I would like to recognize Bob Barr," Johnson said. "I deeply respect his patriotism." Johnson said the two haven't always agreed on every issue, but that Barr has done great work as lawyer for the people of Georgia.
Barr responded to the compliments by saying, "I appreciate your very kind but unwarranted words."
