This article appeared in yesterday’s New York Times, but I’m linking to the re-posting at Common Dreams because the NYT will require a login to read the article in 2 weeks. (and because there’s a starbucks ad on the NY Times page, but that’s another issue altogether)

“Ashcroft Mocks Librarians and Others Who Oppose Parts of Counterterrorism Law” by Eric Lichtblau

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 — Attorney General John Ashcroft today accused the country’s biggest library association and other critics of fueling “baseless hysteria” about the government’s ability to pry into the public’s reading habits.

In an unusually pointed attack as part of his latest speech in defense of the Bush administration’s counterterrorism initiatives, Mr. Ashcroft mocked and condemned the American Library Association and other Justice Department critics for believing that the F.B.I. wants to know “how far you have gotten on the latest Tom Clancy novel.”

The association, which has argued for months that the government’s new antiterrorism powers risk encroaching on the privacy of library users, took some satisfaction from the broadside.

“If he’s coming after us so specifically, we must be having an impact,” said Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the library association’s Washington office.

[read the rest of the article]

As a member of the ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Roundtable, I take a great deal of satisfaction in knowing that Ashcroft is on the defensive about this issue. The American people are being heard, even if people like Ashcroft don’t understand what they’re saying.

Defenders of the Patriot Act insist that if you’ve nothing to hide, you’ve nothing to worry about. Later in the article, it states:

It is not known how many times federal agents have actually used the law to gain access to library records because that information is classified. Even the association said it did not know because libraries served with demands for such records are bound by a gag order.

That should be enough to make even the most complacent person ask, if it’s so innocent, why all the secrecy?

Ashcroft’s boss W, of all people, should know not to mess with librarians, he’s married to one for pete’s sake!

In happier news, yesterday the Senate voted 55-40 to overturn the idiotic ownership rules passed by the FCC a few months ago. Here’s a handy list of how each Senator voted on the issue (and who didn’t vote) along with a brief bit of commentary:

“Senate Votes to Block Media Ownership Rules”.

I can sum it up for you: the House isn’t going to be as easy, as W has threatened to veto. It’s not a done deal, but it’s hope…