Who's that reading over your shoulder? Not to worry, Green says, it's Uncle Sam

So, who took out that book about Osama Bin Ladin?

Who wants to know?

The FBI.

Sounds like some far-fetched scenario a paranoid lefty or the ACLU would dream up to try to discredit the Patriot Act, doesn't it?

The thing is, it really happened in Washington state.

That was just one of 200 cases in which law enforcement officials have asked libraries for such information, the New York Times reports.

And 40% of the libraries responding to a survey said that library users had asked about changes in practices related to the Patriot Act, and about 5 percent said they had altered their professional activities over the issues; for instance, by reviewing the types of books they bought.
The House passed an amendment last week to restrict the government's power to snoop on your reading habits. Thirty-eight Republicans supported the change, even though the Bush White House was unhappy about it.

Three Wisconsin Republicans -- Mark Green, F. James Sensenbrenner, and Paul Ryan, voted against the change. Earlier post.

Green's running for governor, so he may have more chances than the others to explain why he thinks Uncle Sam should be able to snoop in your library records and read over your shoulder. Can't wait to hear it.

FEINGOLD: MAKE IT SAFE: Sen. Russ Feingold, the only one to vote against the Patriot Act, and who was re-elected big time in November, makes the case in the Denver Post for the Security and Freedom Enhancement Act (SAFE), designed to provide the checks and balances that were missing from the Patriot Act when it has hastily passed just six weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks. Feingold op ed.

UPDATE: Wisconsin State Journal weighs in with an editorial.