Ashcroft will visit Las Vegas to pitch Patriot Act

Timothy Pratt and Jace Radke

Monday, Aug. 25, 2003 | 11:18 a.m.

Attorney General John Ashcroft will include Las Vegas in his tour of Western states next week to pitch the benefits of the controversial USA Patriot Act.

Ashcroft is to speak to law enforcement about the law at 9:10 a.m. Tuesday at the George Federal Building. The event is not open to the public, however, and the press will not be allowed to ask Ashcroft questions, organizers said.

The announcement about Ashcroft's visit came as a range of groups statewide have begun a campaign in recent weeks to get local governments to oppose the federal government's post-Sept. 11 anti-terrorism law. Opponents of the law say it allows too many infringements on civil rights and privacy.

Congress passed the federal law shortly after the attacks to increase cooperation between agencies such as the FBI and the CIA in the war against terrorism and to make law enforcement tools such as wiretapping easier to employ. Proponents of the law say some rights of U.S. citizens have to be eroded to protect the nation against terrorism.

Civil liberties groups nationwide have called attention to the danger of diminishing individual rights in the quest for national safety. Three states and more than 100 municipalities have passed resolutions opposing the act in recent months, Gary Peck, executive director for the Nevada chapter of the ACLU, said.

The ACLU and groups across the political spectrum statewide, including the Eagle Forum, a conservative group, and the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, have begun a campaign in recent weeks to pass a similar resolution

"The law has become increasingly embattled ... as it has put freedom at risk by giving short shrift to core constitutional values and upsetting the system of checks and balances that is the cornerstone of democracy," Peck said.

"It has dramatically increased the government's ability to investigate Americans and pry into personal affairs without probable cause or meaningful judicial review."

Ashcroft also apparently doesn't want or have time for much meaningful public review either.

He has scheduled three minutes for each of four local television news crews to interview him, but he has allotted no time for print media.

During his last official visit on May 8, 2002, Ashcroft took only two questions from the media after a press conference at the George Federal Building.

Brian Rethmeier, a spokesman for the Justice Department, said that the reason no print interviews have been scheduled is because of Ashcroft's packed schedule.

"We're obviously pretty tight on our time constraints, but that's not to say things might not change" Rethmeier said. "In Iowa there was a little extra time and he was able to field a few questions.

"It's not a thing where we are trying to favor one media over another. It's just because of time."

Peck said he believes it is obvious that Ashcroft is on a public relations tour, and that it is clear he has little interest in reaching out or hearing from the general public.