The Attorney General was a tad upset that Congress had the gall to question whether his recent actions, and those of the Administration in general, were constitutional.
“To those who pit Americans against immigrants, citizens against non-citizens, to those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this: Your tactics only aid terrorists for they erode our national unity and diminish our resolve,” Ashcroft told the Senate Judiciary Committee. “They give ammunition to America’s enemies and pause to America’s friends. They encourage people of good will to remain silent in the face of evil.”
Get it? The folks questioning the Administration are actually aiding and abetting the terrorists. Hey, that makes them traitors! Hey, wasn’t there something in that stuff we did about military tribunals? Excellent!
But seriously, folks, I’ve seen a lot of very reasonable, learned, and/or intelligent eople questioning some of the activities of the Justice Department and the Administration. I’ve also seen a number of reasonable, learned, and/or intelligent people pointing out that, during war-time, some temporary tightening of civil liberties is both desirable and not something to get hysterical over.
But the point is — there is that discussion going on. That debate. So far it’s relatively reasoned (aside from the normal fringe lunatics who’d be ranting regardless of the situation). It hasn’t reached a level (IMO) where it represents a weakness, where it’s keeping us from doing the things that need doing.
For the Attorney General to basically say that not only is the Administration acting constitutionally, but that to even question that is “aiding the terrorists” is, itself, kinda terrifying. It indicates either an ignorance of our democratic system, or a contempt for it.