The Raping of Democracy

Just when you think the Bush administration couldn't sink any lower, they take an even bigger crap on the United States Constitution, particularly the First Amendment. You remember that one don't you? I know it's hard to recognize nowadays, but it goes like this:

First Amendment – Freedom of speech, press, religion, peaceable assembly, and to petition the government.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The WashingtonPost reports that:

The Justice Department also argued in a court filing last month that reporters can be prosecuted under the 1917 Espionage Act for receiving and publishing classified information. The brief was filed in support of a case against two pro-Israeli lobbyists, who are the first nongovernment officials to be prosecuted for receiving and distributing classified information.

It's all so reminiscent of the Nixon administration...it's so nostalgic. Not in a "California Dreamin' - Woodstock" sort of way. More like a secretive, Deep Throat, Watergate sort of way. Freedom of the press is to be a thing of the past. Not that the press has been particularly stalwart lately, but come on! Why is the Bush administration trying to shut them up altogether? All the white house has to do is yell "Boo! Terrorist! Boo!" and suddenly the free press isn't allowed to publish any information. Well, I guess they can publish it but now they're threatened with prosicution if they do. It is just another indication that dissent will not be tolerated by Bush and company.

The former Yale cheerleader who is running our country (into the ground) and is the biggest cheerleader for global freedom and democracy, at least as far as paying it lip service, certainly has no trouble completely stripping and shredding the foundation that our country was established on.