John Ashcroft and Dick Cheney (Civil Rights) 

FACT: Last week John Ashcroft and Dick Cheney defended George W. Bush's new plan to try suspected terrorists before military tribunals, bypassing their constitutional right to a fair trial. Of course, it doesn't apply to US citizens…yet. According to Dick Cheney, "They don't deserve the same guarantees and safeguards that would be used for an American citizen going through the normal judicial process." 

COMMENT: So it begins with big brother. Ignore the judicial process with non-citizens. Stifle dissent in the "homeland". Label dissenters as "traitors". Narrow the definition of "citizen" to eliminate "traitors". Attain complete Orwellian control. 

George W. Bush (Anti-Civil Rights, Anti-Constitution) 2001 

FACT: When Bush appeared at Legends Field in Tampa, Florida, last week, protesters were herded into a "First Amendment Zone" half a mile away. Three attendees were arrested and dragged out of the stadium after refusing to leave with their anti-Bush signs, because according to the SS "you can't be within eyeshot of the president with those signs because it's a security issue." 

COMMENT: Ah, Remember back when the whole country was a First Amendment Zone. Well, forget it. You're in Bush country now and anything you say can and will be a security breach against our fine president (sic).

Ann Coulter (Civil Rights Revoked) 

FACT: Conservative poster-girl Coulter, commentating on the Secret Service agent who was thrown off an American Airlines flight recently for being an Arab, and who has threatened to sue: "This man should not be allowed near the president with a loaded gun. At the least, he's an immature nut. At worst, he's a ticking time bomb, in a simmering rage at America's supposed mistreatment of Muslims.", "There is no principled basis for opposition to using Arab appearance as a factor in airport screening procedures."