Okay, how many outright lies can you find in this statement by Bush today?

In order to protect America, the United States Senate must reauthorize the Patriot Act. The terrorists still want to hit us again. There is an enemy that lurks, a dangerous group of people that want to do harm to the American people — and we must have the tools necessary to protect the American people. The Patriot Act passed overwhelmingly shortly after the September the 11th attack. It has been an effective tool; it has worked.

And the same as we protected the American people using the Patriot Act, we’ve also protected their civil liberties. There is extensive oversight on this very important program. The Patriot Act tore down the wall between law enforcement and intelligence communities, which makes it easier to connect the dots before an attack. The Patriot Act also gave law enforcement tools to investigate terrorism that they have already got to investigate other types of crimes.

The Patriot Act is scheduled to expire at the end of this year. The terrorist threat is not going to expire at the end of this year. The House has voted to reauthorize the Patriot Act, and they left town, because they thought their — because their business is finished. The Senate is still debating this issue. A majority of the United States Senate supports reauthorization; a minority of senators is filibustering and preventing the Senate from voting to renew the Patriot Act. The Senate Democratic Leader recently boasted about killing the Patriot Act. This obstruction is inexcusable. The senators obstructing the Patriot Act need to understand that the expiration of this vital law will endanger America and will leave us in a weaker position in the fight against brutal killers. It’s important that the Senate act quickly on these two bills.

Here is the most overwhelming lie: that the Patriot Act is being killed. It is not. The GOP tried to push through a version of the Patriot Act which makes permanent some provisions which threaten civil liberties. Democrats and some Republicans were against that, and simply want sunset provisions; the GOP and Bush utterly refused.

Here’s where the lie is thickest: the Democratic and Republican coalition offered to extend the Patriot Act for three months so the details could be worked out. The GOP and Bush again utterly refused. But there was no reason for them to do so. It is completely within their power to extend the Patriot Act. They chose not to, so they could make political hay out of it. So the majority of what Bush is saying above is knowingly false.

What other lies are there? “We’ve also protected their civil liberties.” Do I even need to explain? “A minority of senators is filibustering and preventing the Senate from voting to renew the Patriot Act.” First, Cheney came back to D.C. specifically so he could cast a tie-breaking vote on this issue, unnecessary if it was just a “minority.” In fact, now it is being reported that there is a majority who will vote for the 3-month extension, should the GOP leadership allow such a vote to occur. 52 Senators, including 8 Republicans, signed a letter urging the extension. So it is hardly a “minority” and absolutely no one is “preventing” the Senate from extending the act. They are preventing the passage of an extreme version of the act.

Most of the lies Bush spoke this morning, both specific and general, stem from these issues.