<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 5.50.4807.2300" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV><B>From:</B> <A title=dperrin13@mediaone.net href="mailto:dperrin13@mediaone.net">Dennis</A> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>>I mean, barring full scale abuse of the Patriot Act (abuse that would humble even its staunchest >supporters), I really don't see how it will be repealed.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>That's the point- the sunset provision means we don't have to get it repealed, we just have to block its being passed again.  The difference is this- repeal requires winning in the House, have 60 votes in the Senate, and overcoming a possible veto (meaning two-thirds vote required).</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Blocking passage means winning in one of those three venues-- and requires only 40 Senate votes. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I know prosaic discussions about concrete margins of passage is treated as a distraction from the serious political discussion, but it's what is the difference between passage and on-passage of legislation.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>BTW on a tangentially related issue, I will note that the Bankruptcy Bill is still not law because Senate Dems have refused to approve a compromise with the House.  We'll see what happens, but post-S11 economic times may derail the whole thing.  But the point is that procedure and party control does matter-- folks would already be being hit with the damn thing if Jeffords hadn't jumped and handed control of conference appointments to Dashcle.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>-- Nathan Newman</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>