Maria Cantwell: “This article said it best with the headline: ``When Care Beats Haste'': The question then becomes how to make sure that…”

“This article said it best with the headline: ``When Care Beats Haste'': The question then becomes how to make sure that the new authority isn't abused--in fact used for law enforcement purposes or fishing expeditions-- Later it says that it would be wrong for us to take an acquiescent step that in the long run would really hurt our country. What Senator Feingold is simply trying to say is that we have already painstakingly over many years crafted a careful balance in protecting personal privacy. This language in section 215 changes that. It basically says that the FBI can have access to other things, including business records from U.S. citizens who may have had incidental contact with someone who is defined as a terrorist. Think about that for a second. If you are an employer and someone in your company has now been accused of these terrorists acts and is under investigation, your business records can also be attained if, as Senator Feingold said, it was deemed part of this investigation, with very minimal judicial review. Take for another example, you happen to live across the hall from someone who now has become a suspect. Maybe you have been over to their house for dinner several times. Now, all of a sudden, you may be part of that investigation, and your financial records, your medical records, your personal records can now be part of that investigation, again, with very minimal judicial review.”