What The Patriot Act Prevented

From, interestingly enough, a CNN report in October, comes a list of 9/11-magnitude or worse terrorist attacks that the Patriot Act foiled:

*The West Coast Hijack Plot

In mid-2002 the United States disrupted a plot to use hijacked airplanes to attack targets on the West Coast of the United States. The plotters included at least one major operational planner behind the 9/11 attacks.

*The East Coast Hijack Plot

In mid-2003 the United States and a partner disrupted a plot to use hijacked commercial airplanes to attack targets on the East Coast of the United States.

*The Jose Padilla Plot

In May 2002 the United States disrupted a plot that involved blowing up apartment buildings in the United States. One of the alleged plotters, Jose Padilla, allegedly discussed the possibility of using a "dirty bomb" inside the United States. Bush has designated him an "enemy combatant."

*The British Urban Bombing Plot

In mid-2004 the United States and partners disrupted a plot to bomb urban targets in Britain.

*The Heathrow Airport Hijack Plot

In 2003 the United States and several partners disrupted a plot to attack London's Heathrow Airport using hijacked commercial airliners. The planning for this alleged attack was undertaken by a major operational figure in the 9/11 attacks.

*Another British Bombing Terror Plot

In the spring of 2004 the United States used intelligence gathered under the Patriot Act to disrupt a plot to conduct large-scale bombings in Britain.

Four additional attack plots detailed by the White House targeted U.S. interests in the Middle East.

Thanks to forty-two [bleep]ing Democrats and four [bleep]ing Republicans, that list will grow no longer, and the "explosion" of the other list - you know, the one detailing American civilian casualties - can (and will) resume. And when it does, you can take it to the bank that the same damned Democrats who denounced George W. Bush in demogogic high dudgeon for "failing to connect the dots" before 9/11 will blame him anew for the next attacks that their own gutting of the Patriot Act made inevitable.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, and keep right on saying it: Democrats see the mass murder of Americans by Islamic fanatics as their optimum path back to power. If that fact doesn't energize the Republican base to shove it up the collectiv(ist) ass of the DisLoyal Opposition sideways, nothing will.

UPDATE: Double-H deserves this devastating final word:

In less than eleven months the country will get to vote on what it believes about the priority that ought to attach to national security. The past month has revealed the true nature of the Democrats: committed to defeat and retreat in Iraq, open borders, and a crippled intelligence system.

The collapse of the Democrats' credibility on national security is complete. It isn't a political party anymore. It is a suicide pact.