Ashcroft says U.S. beating terror, crime (More Patriot Act Skewing)

[Whoa_Nelly]

Ashcroft says U.S. beating terror, crime

By CHRISTINA HALL
BLADE STAFF WRITER


PHILADELPHIA - The nation’s law enforcement officials are making steady progress in the war on terrorism and are winning the fight against crime, the U.S. attorney general said yesterday.

"You have saved lives," John Ashcroft told those attending the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference here. "Your effort has been a therapy for all Americans. "

<snip>
Mr. Ashcroft said crime is at a 30-year low and that the violent crime victimization rate for all racial and ethnic groups and across all income levels has fallen. Crime is down, he said, because of tougher criminal charges and penalties, effective prosecutorial and investigatory tools, and cooperation and information sharing.

"More Americans are reporting crimes and cooperating with law enforcement than ever before," he said.

more...
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20031025/NEWS03/110250128


LIARS! Take a look at this statistical chart re: US crime years 1960-2000.
http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm

The latest statistics, to which are probably those that Patriot People Hater Asscrack is referencing for "proof", are provided here:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/fsbr/crime.html

For more info on the collection and synthesis of these statistics, look here:
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/ibrs.htm

[IndianaGreen]

1. Ashcroft can count on the support of Joe Biden and Dianne Feinstein

both of whom see nothing wrong with PATRIOT Act, or with John Ashcroft's use of its provisions.

[LittleApple81]

2. Don't remind me of this. Biden I am not surprised about. He is the

clueless (or something else) democrat. But Feinstein? What is wrong with her? What is there for her in stating such a opinion? I don't understand.

[leesa]

4. Feinstein works against us at most opportunities

She insisted we "forget about" the 2000 election theft. She voted to give the Chimpster war powers, without debate or thought, twice. She voted to go to war with Iraq and her husband got a lucrative contract out of it. She's part of the uber-rich and part of the Bush Crime Family. She certainly does not want any of the unwashed masses raining on her parade. The P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act will help keep the rich in control.

[IndianaGreen]

6. Patriot Act Misunderstood, Senators Say (Biden & Feinstein)

The "darling" of many California liberals, Feinstein said that she had "never had a single abuse of the Patriot Act reported" to her office. I don't know why people, particularly self-described liberals, like Dianne. She is still the same puke she used to be when she was Mayor of San Francisco.

Patriot Act Misunderstood, Senators Say
Complaints About Civil Liberties Go Beyond Legislation's Reach, Some Insist
By Susan Schmidt
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 22, 2003; Page A04

Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.), speaking at the first of several oversight hearings on terrorism legislation, called criticism of the Patriot Act "ill-informed and overblown" and commended prosecutors' work in some terrorism cases.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) mounted a strong defense of the Patriot Act, saying she believes there is "substantial uncertainty and perhaps some ignorance about what this bill actually does do and how it has been employed." Panel Chairman Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) said terrorism legislation has been misrepresented "by extremists on both ends who seem to be dominating the debate in the media today."

<snip>

Feinstein said that her office has received 21,434 letters opposing the act, but more than half cite provisions that have not been enacted or sent to Congress by the Bush administration. The rest, she said, largely concern security measures governing items mailed to the United States from abroad -- not provisions of the Patriot Act.

"I have never had a single abuse of the Patriot Act reported to me," she said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A61591-2003Oct21?language=printer

[Voltaire99]

9. Good ol' Confidin' Biden.

Being a coal miner's son taught him so much, didn't it? ;-)

[Kitsune]

3. Wasn't crime already at a 30 year low

under Clinton?

I.E. with no Patriot Act?

[Whoa_Nelly]

5. Ashcroft is working from the Rove/Bush Premise

If you say it enough times it becomes "The Truth".

[Don_G]

7. Peace And Prosperity Tends to Lower Crime Rates

The current crowd never figured on that nor have they accounted for the rise in crime under their administration or acknowledged that fact.

I suppose any contributor to Shrub's campaign is as pure as the driven snow...like Rush.

[Whoa_Nelly]

8. While A** continues his rhetoric re: Patriot Act

I found this intersting 9/17/03 blog:

I heard a story on NPR last night about Ashcroft's Patriot Act publicity tour. I was shocked by the fact that Ashcroft has effectively ADMITTED to abusing the powers given by the Patriot Act. So, I found the text of the relevant speech on line. In the speech he cites reduced crime statistics as a positive result of the war on terror. Look at the following URL around the paragraph that begins, "The fact is that our laws are very..."

http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/speeches/2003/091503nationalrestaurant.htm

Within that speech he contradicts himself by saying,

"A federal judge must first determine that there is an existing investigation of an international terrorist or spy, or a foreign intelligence investigation into a non-U.S. person, and that the business records being sought are relevant to that investigation"
<snip>
By citing reduced crime statistics in his speech defneding the Patriot act, he has effectively admitted that these powers are getting abused by being applied to non-terrorism related crimes. He even goes so far as to cite only crime statistics within the period that the Patriot Act has been in effect! This is a blatant admission that these powers are being applied to non-terrorism related crimes! The Patriot Act is controversial in and of itself, but applying these powers to non-terrorism related crimes is a completely separate debate that has not happened. Ashcroft thinks that the American people will be so happy about a reduction in crime that they will miss the fact that he has just admitted that these powers are already being abused. It is really unbelievable that someone in this powerful a position could so flagrantly abuse his power and even admit it in his own speeches and expect to get away with it.

Read here...
http://www.endus.com/blog/

[Zhade]

10. Ashcroft says U.S. beating terror (suspects), (committing) crime(s)

NT!