Republican candidates staked out contrary stances on renewing the
Patriot Act at the onset of a national security debate on Tuesday,
adding another latest litmus test on how to best protect the United
States from foreign threats.
Newt Gingrich, the presidential race's new and unexpected front-runner,
said during the CNN debate that he saw no reason to modify or not extend
the USA Patriot Act, a controversial law passed under President George W.
Bush in 2001 that widened the scope of permitted domestic spying
activities in a response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
For the full article on The Hill's Ballot Box blog, click here.
