President George W. Bush (R-TX)

For openers, he showed himself to be even more secretive than Clinton when Slick Willie signed EO 13083 entitled "Federalism" while in England that essentially stripped away states rights - an action that was later suspended when the individual states (led by Utah Governor Mike Leavitt) brought sufficient pressure to bear to have the EO suspended.

In addition, Bush also did not invite the sponsors of the bill and he succeeded in bringing together the strangest of bedfellows I’ve seen in the 30 years I’ve been in politics. Now I’ve seen some unusual and even some downright unholy alliances in politics like Rush Limbaugh and Bill Clinton, but the lawsuit filed yesterday afternoon after the signing reads like a who’s who of odd couples, most notably led by the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Among the other provisions of this legislation is a ban on soft money, and a prohibition on television ads paid for by special interest groups in the final days of an election season. Notice how all this is designed to protect incumbents in such a manner that is virtually impossible to speak out against said incumbent within X number of days prior to either a primary or a general election, thus ensuring the incumbent a free ride all the way to yet another term for as long as either he or she wants the job. Funny thing about this is that none of this takes effect until AFTER the general mid-term elections in November - convenient, huh?

Former Governor James Gilmore (R-VA)

Meanwhile, in the "Score One for the Good Guys" department, former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore and head of the Republican National Committee, who now heads the congressionally-appointed anti-terror commission reported that while he fully expected another attack on American soil the likes of 9-11 (or possibly worse), that the proposed knee-jerk security measures will do little good other than significantly intrude on civil liberties. Gilmore described the idea of a national ID card as "too creepy for me." Perfectly put!

Hallelujah! A Republican (or American government official) with the integrity to recognize the truth! As one who travels back and forth across the U.S./Canada border on a regular, I was thoroughly interviewed at the border on my first crossing after 9-11. When I crossed the border in January, I made the crossing in all of four seconds. CBS’ newsmagazine 60 MINUTES recently exposed the risks faced by our seaports and the target-rich environment they provided to terrorists.

In addition, the only ones who would gain from the idea of a national ID card would be that opportunistic idiot Larry Ellison of Oracle, and we all know his motive - money for himself and the exploitation of a national tragedy for monetary gain; and another would be Harris Miller, the president and CEO of the International Technology Association of America, who promotes the building of a national database for pretty much the same reasons - not helping America, but rather, helping himself.

Meanwhile, you have Marvin Langston, a vice president with SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation) suggesting a VOLUNTARY ID card - yeah, right - sure. And if you believe that one, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you.

When asked, Gilmore said he is concerned that Americans are needlessly being forced to believe they must give up their fundamental rights for the benefit of security. He said that has already happened with the advent of traffic light cameras to stop errant motorists and surveillance cameras on the streets.

As I see it, the idea of Americans having to give up their rights because of some fanatics who claim to be Muslims runs counter to the American spirit, and those who feel that we should ought to consider relocating to another country where these rights do not exist. These rights have been a fundamental part of our being as a nation since our humble beginnings over 225 years ago; for those who don’t realize that, may I suggest you break out an American History book, for those who fail to learn from the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them.