Tom Cotton preparing for battle against Rand Paul and GOP libertarian wing over Patriot Act

[jct74]

Tom Cotton prepares for Patriot Act battle
Hawks and libertarians are about to square off in Congress over extending surveillance authority for the feds.

By Manu Raju and Burgess Everett
4/24/15 5:40 AM EDT

Sen. Tom Cotton is preparing for battle against Sen. Rand Paul and the GOP’s libertarian wing over the USA Patriot Act and the power of government to conduct spying operations domestically and abroad.

The 37-year-old Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, who vaulted to the Senate this year after a single term in the House, is maneuvering to build support for extending existing surveillance authority for the U.S. government — without the additional safeguards civil libertarians want.

The Arkansas senator, who caused an international firestorm last month with his controversial letter to Iranian leaders, has spent many recent Fridays in Washington at FBI and National Security Agency headquarters, meeting with senior intelligence officials and administration lawyers to build his case for a clean extension of three expiring provisions of the Patriot Act. With the support of GOP leaders, he’s serving as an emissary on the issue to GOP freshmen who are weighing whether to extend the controversial law. And he is seeking to sell his views on surveillance to Republicans from libertarian-minded states through classified briefings conducted by senior intelligence officials.

The emergence of Cotton, an unbending hawk celebrated by neoconservatives as a next-generation party leader on national defense, shows how intent Republican leaders are to prevail over the Paul wing of the GOP. Libertarian-leaning Republicans want to scale back — if not repeal — the Patriot Act before key provisions are set to expire May 31.

In an interview, Cotton warned that he’s determined not to allow views like Paul’s to take hold in today’s Republican party.

...

read more:
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/0...le-117306.html

[jct74]

quote from Rand in article:

“I don’t support anything in the Patriot Act,” Paul, the Kentucky Republican and presidential candidate, said in an interview. “I want to repeal the whole thing.”

Cotton responded calmly. “This is just where Rand and I disagree,” he said. Asked if he would support Paul if he won the Republican nomination, Cotton said, ““I’m not getting involved in presidential politics right now.”

[CaptUSA]

“I personally would like to see a permanent reauthorization … so we don’t continue to have these debates and take up the time and resources and energy at agencies like the FBI and NSA every few years,” Cotton said. “But I think a five-and-a-half year authorization is appropriate.”

This is dangerous thinking.

And does anyone else find the 5 and 1/2 year authorization coincidental? Sounds like they want to make sure it wouldn't expire during the term of the next President.

[adelina]

Cotton is a fascist POS.

[The Northbreather]

The old trick.

"We have this secret info, we can't show you, but trust us, we need to remove some of your liberties, if not we all die...."

[01000110]

He's a veteran...what exactly was he fighting for? Certainly not to protect our liberties and freedom. Screw him and his kind. I hope Rand digs in his heels.

[libertyplz]

The old trick.

"We have this secret info, we can't show you, but trust us, we need to remove some of your liberties, if not we all die...."

If that's the angle they take, I think Rand + others really need to hammer the point that government lies. Rand has briefly mentioned it with regards to NSA and James Clapper lying in front of congress, but it is always more of a side point as opposed to making it a main issue. Just to name a few, government lied about spying on its own citizens, they then lied about the attacks that the programs helped prevented, Iraq's WMD's, claiming the sky was falling in regards to the Manning/wikileaks (though may be too controversial to bring Manning up at all unfortunately), and then again claiming there would be chaos over the torture report being released. These people need to be called out. Unless I'm mistaken, I don't think any politician has laid it all out and tried to make the case that the government has absolutely no credibility in such claims.

[economics102]

I wish we could have somehow gotten Adam Kokesh elected. It would be nice to have an Iraq war vet who's a libertarian to counter scumbags like Cotton.

If I were Rand this is what I would say, to paint Cotton as the extremist he is: "Senator Cotton and his wing are so extreme, he not only wants to keep spying on you, he thinks we should never debate the question again. I will fight radical extremists like him."

[Ronin Truth]

GOP libertarian wing? There's another really good oxymoron.

What all three of them? LOL!

[Inkblots]

He's a veteran...what exactly was he fighting for? Certainly not to protect our liberties and freedom. Screw him and his kind. I hope Rand digs in his heels.

He enlisted so he could say he was a veteran when he launched his political career. It's not a new trick, but in the case of a neocon, it's truly dangerous.

I wish Smedley Butler would rise from the grave to smack some sense into that pencil-neck.

[specsaregood]

/.

[William Tell]

Asked if he would support Paul if he won the Republican nomination, Cotton said, ““I’m not getting involved in presidential politics right now".

Gotta love how the Neo-Cons won't commit to backing the nominee. Of course, they get a free pass on that.

[hells_unicorn]

It's a pity that we couldn't have run somebody who was viable and a little less authoritarian in the GOP primary for senate in Arkansas against Cotton. The political physics of 2014 were against the Democrats, hence their monumental losses, but in winning the GOP ended up setting the entire country back significantly by putting this guy in power. Anyone who trusts the NSA with the kind of power that they have at present is either dangerous or not thinking critically.

[Dr.3D]

Anybody who takes his oath of office seriously doesn't cotton to the Patriot Act.

[Foreigner]

Gotta love how the Neo-Cons won't commit to backing the nominee. Of course, they get a free pass on that.

To be fair, McCain said he would support Paul... After spending every bit of influence and breath he has left to oppose him i the primaries first, of course.

Cotton is dangerous, gives me the creeps. He's much more so than McCain, since his conservative fiscal policy buys him influence from the base.

[economics102]

Cotton is dangerous, gives me the creeps. He's much more so than McCain, since his conservative fiscal policy buys him influence from the base.

He's also dangerous because of his age. It's hard to paint somebody who's only 37 as being "yesterday" in terms of foreign policy. Plus you can't dismiss him as senile and young voters may identify with him.

The fact that there are virtually no other senators in that age bracket is problematic.

[JohnGalt1225]

Tom Cotton may be the most dangerous man in the Senate. Graham and McCain will be gone soon, but Cotton could hang around for a long, long time advocating his idiocy.

[georgiaboy]

where's a black swan event when you need one?

[Scrooge McDuck]

We need a Senator Amash and Senator Labrador one of these days. And then Massie too of course.

[cat_woman]

We need a Senator Amash and Senator Labrador one of these days. And then Massie too of course.

Yes I totally agree. All three of them would be great additions to the Senate. I'm really disappointed with Cotton and didn't realize he had such extreme views.

[Ronin Truth]

Anybody who takes his oath of office seriously doesn't cotton to the Patriot Act.

Well that oath criterion certainly eliminates a few. LMAO!

[anaconda]

Cotton should be ashamed of himself.

[anaconda]

He's also dangerous because of his age. It's hard to paint somebody who's only 37 as being "yesterday" in terms of foreign policy. Plus you can't dismiss him as senile and young voters may identify with him.

The fact that there are virtually no other senators in that age bracket is problematic.

He could be painted as a 37 year old sell out for establishment cash.

[Origanalist]

Cotton should be ashamed of himself.

I don't think that's very likely.

[anaconda]

Cotton fought in foreign lands to enslave Americans with the Patriot Act extension? What's the point? Why fight in Iraq if you're simply going to discard the constitution?