We end our lazy week with a message of outrage. We’re sure most of you are paying attention to the “signing statements” made by the President — the latest made when he signed the the re-authorization of the Patriot Act. Privacy groups fought and worked hard to ensure that the Act protected the rights of U.S. Citizens, and the recent statement has the Campaign For Reader Privacy fighting back.
Teicher said the ABA is once again encouraging booksellers to communicate their views to the White House and their representatives in Congress. “We’re currently deciding what our next step will be,” Teicher added. “We had already decided to keep the Campaign together to monitor the enforcement of the law but we’re shocked to be reconvening so quickly because of the president’s actions. During our long battle to get provisions into this Act we had good and bad days. We didn’t get everything in we wanted but we did impress on Congress the importance of public disclosure. They added it to the bill. Now its just outrageous that the president will not enforce it. It strikes me as a total conflict to the way things should work.”
