Obama AG Nom Eric Holder Approves of Bookstore and Library Searches… Where’s Outrage?

Publius' Forum ^ | 1/21/09 | Warner Todd Huston

[Mobile Vulgus]

Last Thursday, Barack Obama's nominee for Attorney General, Eric Holder, admitted during his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing that he supported renewing the part of the Patriot Act that allows for the FBI to seek records from businesses, libraries and bookstores as the policing agency investigates suspects in this country. For years we've seen news agencies and opinionists rail against the expanded power of the FBI to search such records. But, now with Obama's AG announcing in his confirmation hearing that he agrees that the FBI should have this power, all anti-Bush administration voices are silent on the matter that had them so exercised for 6 years.

Since 2002 the debate has raged about the efficacy and Constitutionality of the Patriot Act with the power of the FBI to search bookstore and library records coming in for special condemnation. Even as the Supreme Court of the United States has upheld the law, right to privacy groups, the media and anti-Bushies have pointed to this particular policy and cried Orwell or worse.

USA Today talked about the situation in 2002. Not unexpectedly, the American Library Association has been worriedly writing of this business for years. Some librarians have even forced the FBI to jump through hoops to seize computers during investigations. And, of course, the ACLU has fought the provisions, too...

Read the rest at Publiusforum.com...

[Mobile Vulgus]

Yeah, media = hypocrites.

[sport]

So long as it is Democrats doing it, you will not hear a whimper of dissent from the main stream media.

But again that is what the American voters want. They make this clear by electing and re-elcting Democrats to office.

[silverleaf]

Consider the hysteria about Sarah Palin “banning books” when all she did was respond to a constituent’s complaint by asking the library to provide information on past practices used to protect children from inappropriate material being openly shelved.

[FreeAtlanta]

The Democrate/Liberal lemmings do what they are told. They are outraged, when they are told to be outraged.

[Conan the Librarian]

I work in a Library and I am all for the searches, as long as they have a court order.

If you want to use public computers, you should NOT expect privacy of any type (even though we provide it as best we can). Computers are cheap, if you don’t want someone to see what you are doing, get your own.

It’s like wanting to run naked in the middle of a city park. You might want the privacy, but, it’s a public place and you won’t get it.

[CPT Clay]

Committee’s must ask him about this.

[anniegetyourgun]

He’ll be confirmed. The new reality is that the Left is in complete control, and they’ll do as they please.

[Texas Fossil]

How about a look at BHO’s (ie. Barry Soetoto) records at Occidental and Columbia University. That does not seem to me as an invasion of privacy.

[Texas Fossil]

You are so right.

They will do as they please, for a while.

[Tahoe3002]

Lots of folks think that the state (local, state or federal) will not try to create/enforce gun control laws and maybe even including confiscation of non-criminal, privately owned guns.

It does not matter what personal property it might be, “Civil service” thugs will take it if so ordered by their superiors. These thug enforcers are dependent on the government for their paycheck....your personal property and rights be damned.

[Bubba_Leroy]

Government searches are always o.k. as long as Democrats are running the government.

[Texas Fossil]

I am sure this will depend a great deal on the attitude of the Governor and Legislature of the state in question.

Gun confiscation in Texas will not happen. (without an armed conflict)

[dfwgator]

[dbz77]

It does not matter what personal property it might be, “Civil service” thugs will take it if so ordered by their superiors. These thug enforcers are dependent on the government for their paycheck....your personal property and rights be damned.

How many of them are actually willing to risk their lives?

If insurgents were able to keep the U.S. military at bay, how much more so for civil service thugs?