I happened to receive an e-mail from U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., yesterday afternoon telling me he was voting against extending the Patriot Act.  Then I read in today’s local paper that both Tester and U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., voted against bringing the re-authorization to the floor (Cloture on the Motion to Proceed).  They were part of the eight senators who (thankfully) lost that vote 74-8.  Eighteen senators took that vote off.

The Great Falls Tribune thinks it is so neat that they have a poll up asking, “Do you agree with Montana’s congressional delegation that the Patriot Act should expire?”

I voted NO.

I also found it disturbing to read that U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., will probably not support the extension of the Patriot Act in the House.

These things happen when people have no experience in the world of national security, defense, or military issues.

In his e-mail Tester claims our intelligence professionals can find stuff on you “Without having to dig up your medical records, or your gun records, or your library records, or your internet records” which he contends through his e-mail that the Patriot Act allows them to do.  Then he throws in “the private lives of law-abiding Americans and Montanans” just to scare people.

Tester’s e-mail is, in one word, crap.

I wonder how many Montanans Tester can name who have had their medical records, gun records, library records or internet records accessed by the government under the rules of the Patriot Act.  I wonder if Tester realizes one of his staffers wrote the ridiculous e-mail that his signature was pasted on.

Some folks are probably wondering if Tester is all of sudden so fascinated with our Constitution then why does he keep voting for anti-second amendment judges for the federal bench.

The Patriot Act is about our security.  Back in November 2007, I wrote about the Patriot Act and said this, “If you are breaking the law, then you should worry. If not, don’t sweat it.”

I still feel the same way today.  Thankfully it looks like most members of Congress agree with me and not with the Montana Congressional Delegation.