To save the Patriot Act, must John Ashcroft resign?
The Patriot Act has been severely and unjustly criticized. Many incorrect statements have been thrown around regarding the Patriot Act. Few politicians have been brave enough to defend the Patriot Act.
Facts:
- Democratic Senators Joe Biden of Delaware and Dianne Feinstein of California support the Patriot Act.
- The ACLU states that there has never been an abuse of power created by the Patriot Act. (*)
- The Patriot Act does not suspend habeas corpus.
- The Patriot Act has nothing to do with the detention without trial of American citizens such as Abdullah al-Muhajir (formerly called Jose Padilla).
- “The Patriot Act II” would be separate legislation from the Patriot Act. Before Patriot II would become law, Congress must enact it. Congress has not enacted it.
- The government could have engaged in library and Internet surveillance prior to the Patriot Act (†) through, for example, grand jury subpoenas.
- The Patriot Act has nothing to do with Total Information Awareness (TIA). (‡) TIA was a project of the Defense Department.
- The Patriot Act has proved critical to halting further terrorist attacks on American soil and around the world. (§)
- Many misrepresentations have been made by groups like the ACLU to portray the Patriot Act in a negative light. (**)
- The Patriot Act provides critical tools to law enforcement in the War on Terrorism. (††)
- If Congress does not reauthorize the Patriot Act, key provisions will expire and cease to be law after 2005. (‡‡)
The debate on the Patriot Act has been muddied. Once the facts are understood, it’s clear that the Patriot Act is needed and reauthorization is justified. Of course, it would be helpful if the Bush Administration were more forthcoming on how the Act’s measures are being administered.
John Aschcroft is in danger, thanks to a feckless media, of becoming a cartoon caricature of himself in the eyes of the public. Should he fail to rehabilitate his image, he may become a liability in the effort to reauthorize the Patriot Act. Aschcroft might be faced with a choice: resign the office of Attorney General, or see the Patriot Act eviscerated.