As a candidate for president, then-Sen. Barack Obama railed against parts of USA Patriot Act that gave the Bush administration sweeping powers to intercept phone and e-mail communications in the name of fighting terrorism with little judicial or congressional oversight, and Obama pledged to institute "robust" checks and balances if elected.
Now that he's in charge of keeping America safe, President Obama sounds a bit less strident. His attorney general, Eric Holder, has asked Congress to renew three controversial provisons of the Patriot Act that expire in 2010, disappointing liberal Democrats and civil liberties groups who say the provisions endanger civil liberties and foster inappropriate government spying. At the top of this list is the so-called "lone wolf" provision, which allows the government to track and monitor a suspected terrorist with far less evidence than typically required.
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