Students Confront Ashcroft

Staff / Truthdig Dec 1, 2007 Some 150 students donned hoods and turned their backs in silent protest of former Attorney General John Ashcroft at Cornell University on Thursday. Cornell law student and protest co-planner Michael Siegel told Truthdig the demonstrators were meant to represent "the detainees who were arrested and imprisoned without due process under Ashcroft's leadership." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Ashcroft Willing to Be Waterboarded

Staff / Truthdig Nov 29, 2007 While speaking at the University of Colorado on Tuesday night, former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft reaffirmed his belief in the Patriot Act and, when asked by an audience member if he'd submit to the controversial "interrogation" tactic of waterboarding, Ashcroft said he would. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

A Legacy of Legitimizing Torture

Robert Scheer / Truthdig Aug 29, 2007 President Bush lamented Alberto Gonzales' resignation and insisted that the "good name" of the attorney general had been besmirched for partisan purposes. Good name? Robert Scheer reviews the highlights (or, rather, the low points) of Gonzales' tenure and looks at the troubling legacy he leaves behind. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

An Ode to Privacy

Eugene Robinson / Truthdig Aug 7, 2007 It wasn't so long ago that thinking the government was reading your mail, listening to your phone calls, tracking your movements and snapping photos along the way meant you were just paranoid. Ah, the good old days. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

A Top Democrat Calls for Attorney General’s Resignation

Staff / Truthdig Mar 13, 2007 Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., the No. 3 Democrat in the Senate, said Sunday that Alberto Gonzales should step down "for the sake of the nation." Schumer pointed to the partisan firing of U.S. attorneys and the FBI's abuse of the Patriot Act as evidence that the Justice Department has become highly politicized under Gonzales' leadership. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

FBI Abuses Patriot Act Powers

Staff / Truthdig Mar 9, 2007 An internal Justice Department investigation has documented multiple abuses by the FBI in obtaining the private records of U.S. residents. Even with the broad powers of the Patriot Act in place, the bureau is still required to certify that the phone, e-mail and financial documents it seeks are at least related to investigations of terrorism or intelligence activities. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Gonzales Installs Bush Loyalists in Key Positions

Staff / Truthdig Jan 27, 2007 Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is exploiting a loophole in the Patriot Act to appoint U.S. attorneys whose principal qualification is their loyalty to the Bush administration. Recently a number of attorneys have been fired, apparently to make way for Bush-friendly replacements. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Chris Hedges: George Bush’s America

Chris Hedges / Truthdig Dec 4, 2006 The show trial of Sami Al-Arian speaks to the government's persecution of Muslims after 9/11, and the perils of dissent in a world gone mad with terror. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Ex-Terror Suspect Wins Out Over FBI

Staff / Truthdig Dec 1, 2006 An Oregon lawyer and convert to Islam has settled his lawsuit against the FBI for $2 million. Brandon Mayfield, who sued after he was falsely linked to the Madrid train bombings, described his experiences as an Orwellian nightmare where "an act that strips you of your civil rights could be called a Patriot Act." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Bush: I Won’t Pay Attention to Patriot Act Requirement

Staff / Truthdig Mar 25, 2006 You may want to swallow your food before reading this Just as he did with the anti-torture law, Bush placed an addendum on the Patriot Act saying he doesn't have to obey parts of the law . Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Patriot Act Renewal Passes by Two Votes

Staff / Truthdig Mar 8, 2006 The cliffhanger vote caught Republican leaders by surprise. The president is expected to sign the legislation into law before Friday. With the nation's attention trained squarely on the Dubai Ports fiasco (not that it's an unimportant issue), Congress has passed the most sweeping abridgement of American freedoms in a generation--with barely a peep from the public. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Patriot Act Hall of Fame / Shame

Staff / Truthdig Mar 3, 2006 Only nine Democrats and one Independent voted against the most sweeping abridgement of American freedoms in a generation Some of the heroes: Jim Jeffords, Russ Feingold, Robert Byrd Some of the villains: Hillary Clinton, Barbara Boxer, Barack Obama Check out the bottom of this AP story for the full list. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )