[Jolly Rodgers]

If I spit on the Constitution, you peed on it by pretending the anti-terrorist bill does anthing but bring terrorists under the same laws as the Mafia and other organized criminals.

Deb, could you reference one of these laws that apply to prosecuting organized crime that would not apply to prosecuting terrorist organizations? I've been wondering what exactly they were, and you clearly know exactly which ones you are talking about, so I'm sure you won't mind sharing your knowledge.

[Deb]

One is allowing a person to be wire-tapped, as opposed to only a phone line. Terrorsts, like sophisticated criminals, use multiple phones and if they're using a cell phone they just toss them away and get another one. The federal agencies are restricted in their use of wire-taps, to single phone lines.

A second one is being able to hold a suspected terrorist for 7 days instead of 48 hours, until he must be charged with something or let go. Since gathering international information is so difficult that doesn't seem like shredding the Constitution to me.

All the Ashcroft bill does is bring federal law up the level of criminal law. All the "probable cause" restrictions still apply.