Good writeup today in Salon

Good writeup today in Salon about Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont who's running for US president in 2004. Read On the campaign trail with the un-Bush:

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean blasts fellow Democratic presidential candidates for trying to "me too" the "most dangerous presidency since Herbert Hoover."

Vt. bookseller purges files to

Vt. bookseller purges files to avoid potential ‘Patriot Act’ searches:

Bear Pond Books in Montpelier will purge purchase records for customers if they ask, and it has already dumped the names of books bought by its readers' club.

"When the CIA comes and asks what you've read because they're suspicious of you, we can't tell them because we don't have it," store co-owner Michael Katzenberg said. "That's just a basic right, to be able to read what you want without fear that somebody is looking over your shoulder to see what you're reading."

The Patriot Act approved after the 2001 terrorist attacks allows government agents to seek court orders to seize records "for an investigation to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities."

Such court orders cannot be challenged like a traditional subpoena. In fact, bookstores and libraries are barred from telling anyone if they get one.

Vt. bookseller purges files to

Vt. bookseller purges files to avoid potential 'Patriot Act' searches