The sound of silence.......

Congress has agreed to ride roughshod over your civil liberties for another five weeks.

In a last-minute compromise, an extension to the Patriot Act was signed this week.

The first extension came ahead of the bill's December 31 expiration date. That came about after four Senate Republicans crossed the aisle, blocking an effort to make the provisions permanent.

"I believe it is healthy to continue to debate the merits of the Patriot Act and to conduct vigorous congressional oversight ... but it is also imperative that we not play political games with the vital tools our law enforcement and intelligence communities need," House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner said.