IRONY ALERT: Janet Reno blasts Patriot Act, says civil liberties eroded

Lawrence (KS) Journal-World ^ | Sept. 24, 2003 | Terry Rombeck

[mountaineer]

Winning the war on terrorism will take strengthening international ties and better intelligence-gathering -- not measures imposed by the Bush administration that restrict civil liberties, former U.S. Atty. Gen. Janet Reno told Lawrence audiences on Tuesday.

Reno, at Kansas University to speak to law students, meet with faculty and speak at the Lied Center, warned that fear of terrorism was no excuse for several of the measures taken by the Bush administration, including the detention of U.S. citizens after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the East Coast.

She said Americans had a right to know more about those who were detained.

"For citizens in the United States to be held in those circumstances, it represents to me an erosion of the civil liberties we hold dear," Reno said.

Reno said she also was concerned about a provision that allowed federal agents to review library check-out records.

She said she especially took issue with current Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft's comments on the Patriot Act, saying anyone who questioned the anti-terror legislation was not patriotic.

"I think that flies in the face of the good discussion and the thoughtful deliberation that is necessary in a democratic society, and I'd hope we could have more complete discussions," she said. "I'm not encouraged when he takes his defense of the Patriot Act and does it without responding in terms of questions and answers in a thoughtful way."

A controversial era

Reno, 65, served as attorney general for eight years under President Bill Clinton. She lost the Democratic primary in the Florida governor's race last year.

While attorney general, Reno was a lightning rod for controversial issues in the Clinton administration, including Waco, Oklahoma City, Elian Gonzalez, Whitewater and the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

She said she only had regrets about the way she handled Waco in 1993. If she had known David Koresh would have ordered fires set that killed many of the Branch Davidian followers, she wouldn't have ordered federal agents to invade the cult's compound.

[mountaineer]

The School of Law and Student Union Activities paid Reno $20,000 for her visit. Money well spent, no doubt.

Former U.S. Atty. Gen. Janet Reno addresses Kansas University students' questions about events ranging from Waco to the Ten Commandments in a visit to Green Hall. Later Tuesday, Reno addressed an audience of 1,700 at the Lied Center.

[mountaineer]

Bullhockey:

"Waco is the bitterest disappointment I had," she said. "I went through every possible alternative. I read all that Koresh had written, what he threatened to do. We'll never know what the right answer was, because if I had not done what I did, he might well have two weeks after that with no provocation whatsoever done practically the same thing, and we would have been blamed for not taking action."

[mountaineer]

Associated Press coverage of Reno's speech:

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno said Tuesday that the anti-terrorist Patriot Act needs to be rewritten, and she criticized her successor's limits on federal prosecutors in pursuing plea bargains.

Reno, who served as the nation's chief law enforcement officer under President Clinton, said she is concerned that the Patriot Act allows too many people, including American citizens, to be held in military brigs as enemy combatants. She said generally that most people accused of involvement in terrorist activity could be tried in federal courts....

Citing the bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995, Reno said after a terrorist incident, "you think of little else other than national security." But she added, "Even if you encroach on civil liberties, you're not going to be able to guarantee to the American people that you'll be able to prevent everything," she said. full story

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

Hey Janet? How does it feel when the jackboot is on the other foot?

[countrydummy]

oh this is so rich!!!!!!!!

[Joe 6-pack]

Janet Reno's version of civil liberties...

[Kenton]

John Ashcrost should burn her damn church down.

[Thane_Banquo]

What does she know about civil liberties?

[tbpiper]

I went through every possible alternative

They may well be the truth, but what Hillery says, goes.

[mountaineer]

Civil libertarians and conservative Republicans were at odds Tuesday over comments by former U.S. Atty. Gen. Janet Reno.

During a visit to Kansas University, Reno said federal anti-terrorism laws needed to be revised because they infringed too much on personal liberties.

Members of the American Civil Liberties Union applauded the remarks.

Reno said she was especially concerned some citizens were being detained in military jails without access to attorneys.

"I do think people should have access to their attorneys when they are detained. I think there is great reason to be concerned about our rights," said Mary Davidson, president of the Douglas County chapter of the ACLU.

Lydia Krebs, a first-year KU law student from Oskaloosa, said she agreed that the erosion of civil rights should be a major issue.

"I think it should be a concern for everyone,' she said. "I think it's damaging our civil rights. And I have trouble when people defend it simply to defend the administration."

But conservatives disagreed, saying Reno didn't know what was going on in the real world.

"I think she's being disingenuous to the real-world situation." said Jim Mullins, a former Douglas County GOP chairman. "If we don't have laws and government to protect us, we could have some real problems."

Mullins said he fully supported the Patriot Act and had seen nothing harmful about it.

Kris Kobach of Overland Park, a Republican candidate for the 3rd District congressional seat, was former counsel to current U.S. Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft. He said he was among the Justice Department lawyers who drafted the Patriot Act.

"The Patriot Act has been upheld in every court of law that has reviewed any constitutional challenge to it," Kobach said. "Claims that civil rights are violated simply are not right."

Kobach said the act should go even further to assist on the war against terrorism.

"When we drafted the Patriot Act at the Justice Department after the Sept. 11 attacks, we were taking reasonable steps," Kobach said. "And in my opinion, we need to take other steps now to close gaps we've discovered in the law for the war against terrorism."

http://www.ljworld.com/section/kunews/story/146427

[joesnuffy]

Like many politican/liars Reno is posturing for the liberals...
She has to be practically salivating of thinking what she could do to
middle class American rural conservatives with the kinds of powers
embedded in the "Patriot Act" and Homeland Security....
Reno is Pol Pot in drag - imo

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

Reno, at Kansas University to speak to law students, meet with faculty and speak at the Lied Center

How ironic.

[BenLurkin]

Sick, coming as it does from the Butcher of Waco.

[BenLurkin]

Never forget BUMP:

[Walkin Man]

The author of these violent crimes is worried about civil liberty??? BARF!

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

John Ashcrost should burn her damn church down.

Her church?

Her church is already burning.

[_Jim]

The Patriot Act - has anybody read the Patriot Act?

[scabbage]

ha ha!!! I keep forgetting about that picture. My God, can you imagine a picture like that coming out now when Bush is Prez? They`d start TV talk shows based on that picture "The evil Bush and the kidnapping of a child at gunpoint" LA would riot again, well, just to riot again, and you`d have records being broken in the protest dept.

[_Jim]

The author of these violent crimes is

Twisting the facts a bit aren't you? The Davidians started those fires (the contentions of McNutty notwithstanding) ...