"One day after telling the Senate that combating terrorist attacks was his highest priority, Ashcroft issued a memo on May 10, 2001, outlining the Justice Department's strategic goals that contained no mention of counterterrorism. Dale Watson, the FBI's terrorism chief at the time, told the commission staff that he "almost fell out of his chair" when he read it. "
from http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bal-te.obscenity06apr06,0,3004361.story?coll=bal-home-headlines
"In this field office in Washington, 32 prosecutors, investigators and a handful of FBI agents are spending millions of dollars to bring anti-obscenity cases to courthouses across the country for the first time in 10 years. Nothing is off limits, they warn, even soft-core cable programs such as HBO's long-running Real Sex or the adult movies widely offered in guestrooms of major hotel chains."
So, let me make sure I have this straight:
1) Terrorism was or wasn't a priority for the Justice Department before September 11, depending who you believe/ask.
2) The Justice department is proudly INCREASING efforts and budgets for obscenity prosecutions post-9/11.
3) According to Our President, Muslim extremists attacked our citizens because they "They hate our freedoms -- our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other." *
4) Ashcroft is making a special effort to fight pornography because he....loves our freedom?
As Jon Stewart would say, "I got nothin'."
I'm begining to believe/hope that Bush and Cheney won't lose the election for themselves in November; it'll be Asscroft that voters are most wanting to kick back to whatever snake-handling backwater burg he crawled out of.
* cited from http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010920-8.html