Ashcroft begins campaign to shore up worrisome Patriot Act
US Attorney General John Ashcroft and his top aides are worried that a grassroots campaign to roll back the Patriot Act is gaining momentum. More than 140 local governments'including three states' have passed resolutions condemning the act as an infringement of civil liberties.
This week he will launch a cross-country barnstorming tour designed to shore up support for the USA Patriot Act'the controversial measure passed after 9/11 giving the Justice Department broad new powers to combat terrorism.
Ashcroft plans to swoop into 18 cities, give speeches, meet local officials and grant select press interviews touting department successes using the law. In a conference call and e-mails last week the country's 94 U.S. attorneys were instructed to help gin up support by convening "community meetings," writing op-ed articles in local newspapers and ensuring that uniformed cops are seated behind the A.G. during his visits.
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