Bush Claims Mail Can Be Opened Without Warrant

don_combatant writes to note that President Bush claimed new powers to search US mail without a warrant. He made this claim in a "signing statement" at the time he signed a postal overhaul bill into law on December 20. The signing statement directly contradicts part of the bill he signed, which explicitly reinforces protections of first-class mail from searches without a court's approval. According to the article, "A top Senate Intelligence Committee aide promised a review of Bush's move."

Comments

Hmm.. 2nd Amendment

[bigkahunafish]

I find it quite curious that many liberals out there (Slashdot drips of them) complain about the potential (and real) privacy abuses of the Bush Administration (which is not a bad thing; privacy protection is a good thing), but at the same time complain about the 2nd Amendment and the general pro-gun attitudes of Republicans.

It would make sense that privacy advocates should also be advocates of the 2nd Amendment (interpreted as allowing for private gun ownership and right-to-carry) as an armed public is the only way to have any level of resistance if a government becomes truly oppressive. I know that some of you will say that marching and demonstrating is one way that does not require an armed resistance. Yea, well, unarmed crowds really don't do so well against a M16 equipped military controlled by the government (need examples? see China, 1989).