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Now tell me somebody is surprised by this?
Just read this New York Times article about how the US Justice Department (increasingly a misnomer) is using the "USA Patriot Act" (another misnomer) to investigate crimes that are not at all terror related.
"The government is using its expanded authority under the far-reaching law to investigate suspected drug traffickers, white-collar criminals, blackmailers, child pornographers, money launderers, spies and even corrupt foreign leaders, federal officials said."
Given that the provisions of this law do incredible violence to the Bill of Rights, especially the concept of due process, I'm not at all comforted by this revelation. Of course, with John Ashcroft running the DoJ, it's not all that surprising. This is the guy who also recently ordered prosecutors nationwide to avoid plea bargains, and always seek the most serious conviction possible for any crime, no matter the circumstances: link. This man has no concept of nuance, or moderation, or the nature of circumstances. Hell, he has to have a sheet draped over the statue of the Lady of Justice so that he doesn't see naked stone boobies. Why is this man running the Justice Department?
Okay, maybe the real question is: why is Bush running the country? (And no, it's not because he was elected; he wasn't. Bush v. Gore notwithstanding, he lost both the popular vote and, in all likelihood, would have lost the electoral vote if the recounts had proceeded.)
"The government is using its expanded authority under the far-reaching law to investigate suspected drug traffickers, white-collar criminals, blackmailers, child pornographers, money launderers, spies and even corrupt foreign leaders, federal officials said."
Given that the provisions of this law do incredible violence to the Bill of Rights, especially the concept of due process, I'm not at all comforted by this revelation. Of course, with John Ashcroft running the DoJ, it's not all that surprising. This is the guy who also recently ordered prosecutors nationwide to avoid plea bargains, and always seek the most serious conviction possible for any crime, no matter the circumstances: link. This man has no concept of nuance, or moderation, or the nature of circumstances. Hell, he has to have a sheet draped over the statue of the Lady of Justice so that he doesn't see naked stone boobies. Why is this man running the Justice Department?
Okay, maybe the real question is: why is Bush running the country? (And no, it's not because he was elected; he wasn't. Bush v. Gore notwithstanding, he lost both the popular vote and, in all likelihood, would have lost the electoral vote if the recounts had proceeded.)