John Ashcroft (First Amendment Rights, Open Government) 

FACT: And so it comes to this. Last week, on the order of John Ashcroft, a Houston reporter was jailed for refusing to turn over notes and tape recordings, which would have identified her confidential sources, to federal prosecutors. Ironically, the hearing was closed to the public at the government's request, the transcript was sealed, and the name of the judge who sentenced her for contempt of court has not been made public. 

Trent Lott (Misuse of Government Resources, Ethics, First Ammendment Rights) 

FACT: Last week the Senate Minority Leader called for the IRS to audit the NAACP, on the grounds that "They were acting totally as an arm of the Democratic National Committee in a totally vicious, inaccurate television ad." 

COMMENT: This was not only a gross violation of any standard of ethics, but also a blatent shot across the bow to all who wish to express their Constitutional right to free speech.

Republicans (Cover up, Anti Free Speech, Secrecy) 

FACT: The Florida Legislature passes a law making it a felony to release autopsy photos without a judge's permission. The new law not only forbids copying of autopsy photos and records, but also prevents inspecting the records, hindering thousands of independent investigations of insurance claims, malpractice and murders. The law is specifically aimed at newspaper investigations into the death of Dale Earnhardt. 

Lynne Cheney (McCarthyism, Anti-Free Speech) 

FACT: Last week, the conservative group "American Council of Trustees and Alumni" (founder: Lynne Cheney) named 40 college professors whom they considered to be unpatriotic. These professors have been labeled as part of the "blame America first crowd" for, as an example, daring to suggest that there may be a similarity between the suffering of American citizens after September 11 and the suffering of Afghan citizens who are living in a war zone. 

Michael Franks (Flat-Earth Society, Censorship, Conservative Thinking) 

FACT: Michael Franks (a member of the Texas Republican Executive Committee. The conservative group "Texas Citizens for a Sound Economy" have got a problem with the Texas State Board of Education over some ideas about global warming and acid rain which have appeared in new middle-school science textbooks. The teacher's guide even suggests that students write to their congressional representatives about environmental issues. At a hearing, one of the speakers offered his insight, "These kids are not qualified to advise on national energy policy or to write their congressman, for God's sake." And the open-minded Michael Franks offers this solution, "I think we've found the alternative fuel source that everyone is looking for and that is burning these."