Some balls were found in the Senate today:

Bid to renew anti-terror act stalled

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A proposed renewal of the anti-terror USA Patriot Act stalled in Congress on Friday, and Senate foes said they had the votes to block it unless protection of civil liberties were increased.

Yea, what's that pesky ol' Bill of Rights between friends, right?

The Patriot Act, a centerpiece of President George W. Bush's war on terror, was first passed after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. It expanded federal investigative powers to track down suspected terrorists.

...and to be able to lock up anyone-and I do mean ANYONE-that they want to call an enemy, leave them in jail for any length of time, deny them council and not even charge them with a crime or bring them to trial.