The Associated Press Is Reporting Rep. C.L. “Butch” Otter, R-Idaho, one of the strongest opponents of the Patriot Act, offered no proof but said, “There may be agents out there who have asked for this information that, quite frankly, the head of the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., is unaware of.”
Otter and Reps. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, said Wednesday they would introduce legislation to repeal at least Section 215 of the Patriot Act.
“If they haven’t used it, they shouldn’t have any problems with our efforts to get it repealed,” said Kucinich, one of the 10 Democratic presidential candidates.
Patriot Act
Attorney General Ashcroft said that no library records have secretly been examined under the Patriot Act. However, he did not say that any librarian who reported such action would be free to comment upon this. The gag requirements are still in place. Any librarian who reports that the Attorney General is wrong and lying can be prosecuted for violating the Patriot Act sections that Ashcroft claims has never been used.
You’re damned if you do…