Ashcroft Rips Anti-Patriot Act 'Hysteria'

[Maple]

....."Attorney General John Ashcroft denounced as "hysteria" the contention by some librarians and civil liberties groups that the FBI can use a new anti-terror law to snoop into Americans' reading habits.

In a speech Monday to an American Restaurant Association conference, Ashcroft said people are being wrongly led to believe that libraries have been "surrounded by the FBI," with agents "dressed in raincoats, dark suits and sunglasses. They stop everyone and interrogate everyone like Joe Friday.

"Now, you may have thought with all this hysteria and hyperbole, something had to be wrong," Ashcroft said. "Do we at the Justice Department really care what you are reading? No."

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20030915_2121.html

[burrowowl]

1. May he be

sent to wherever and forced to view statues of nudes. AssKroft is a facist liar.

[sexybomber]

2. What a lying scumbag.

"Do we at the Justice Department really care what you are reading? No."

" ... Unless you're a member of an anti-American terrorist group, like the Democratic party."

</sarcasm>

[indepat]

16. Yeah, this cabal has a history of labeling dissent as un-American,

unpatriotic, aiding the enemy, not supporting the troops, and even treasonous. Is Ashcroft telling the biggest whopper on record by a political appointee? Nah, Rummy might have him beat.

[HereSince1628]

3. Yeah, well, do those restauranteurs sell french fries or freedom fries?

You needn't answer. We know that anyone selling french fries or belgian waffles or german chocolates was sent to the "first amendment zone"

On the graves of 10 previous generations of Americans, I swear, I will not let the PATRIOT ACT out live me!

[wtmusic]

4. I bet if I was reading

'The Anarchist's Cookbook' he might care...

[Rex]

5. Stop the press - Asscan just told the truth!

"In a speech Monday to an American Restaurant Association conference, Ashcroft said people are being wrongly led to believe that libraries have been "surrounded by the FBI," with agents "dressed in raincoats, dark suits and sunglasses. They stop everyone and interrogate everyone like Joe Friday."

Feds don't NEED to walk around looking like stock-spies (trenchcoat/sunglasses yadda yadda). No, nazi goons walk right in (wearing their standard brownshirts) to the library and demand, under penalty of arrest, ALL records of John Doe's reading habits!

Nazis are NEVER subtle.

[asjr]

6. hysteria

Asscroft should talk! Who was it that draped the statue? Hysteria my hind leg, this entire administration thinks everyone is out of step but them. All this crap we get from Cheney, Powell and all those Repubs is nothing but crap and arrogance. I wish tarring and feathering was still in vogue.

[Cat Atomic]

7. "Ashcroft said people are being wrongly led to believe that...

libraries have been 'surrounded by the FBI,' with agents 'dressed in raincoats, dark suits and sunglasses."

"Silly, innacurate hysteria, Ashcroft explained. "They wear suit jackets, everybody knows that".

[Generic Other]

8. "dressed in raincoats, dark suits and sunglasses"

The last time someone who looked like this sidled up next to me in the library, he exposed himself!

LOL.

[ComerPerro]

9. Yeah, they don't care what you are reading as long

As it is something from the approved list of books and authors.

Ashcroft is such a fascist and puritan asshole that he doesn't even care about hiding it.

[Mari333]

10. Ashcroft Rips

Now thats a nasty thought...another whistleass......

[BiggJawn]

11. He shouldn't poo-poo this "Hysteria" it got his act rammed through..

..in the FIRST place!

Yeah, hysteria. Why do you think normally rational, sane adults gave this draconian fucker and his polished turd a pass so quickly in the first place?

And WHY, oh WHY are MY tax dollars (The ones that I did NOT get refunded, i.e. ALL of them) paying for this scumbucket to go talk to a bunch of greasy-spoon owners and Ho-Jo managers?

To clue them in on the latest policy when your wait-staff wants to turn in the dark-skinned guys over in #24 as Terra-ists?

[truthisfreedom]

12. good. the more he squawks, the more we know there's something there.

let him squawk. it just draws attention to what the administration is doing during a time of the majority of americans MISTRUSTING this administration.

[davidinalameda]

13. kick

[prolesunited]

14. Good thread on this in LBN

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=116439&mesg_id=116439

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

15. Next time they approach you at the library

make a public scene, and call 911. Since Ashcroft has stood in public and said his agents aren't there, obviously anyone at the libraries saying they are FBI have to be frauds, and should be arrested as impersonating a federal agent.

Simple, really!