Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, opposed the Patriot Act as “unpatriotic,” and appealed to the example of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh as an example of justice brought to terrorists through the courts. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who supports the Patriot Act, countered quickly that McVeigh succeeded in his attack, and he argued for a distinction between criminal law and the laws governing terrorist actions.
Paul suggested that the Patriot Act risked sacrificing liberty for security. “You can have a police state that might prevent crime,” he pointed out, and noted that McVeigh was effectively prosecuted under criminal.
“Timothy McVeigh succeeded,” Gingrich replied, and argued for a distinction between domestic criminals and terrorists who comport themselves as enemy combatants.
