A Good Day

Today was a good day for civil liberties.

By a single vote, the Senate rejected the proposed amendment that would permit Congress to declare flag-burning a crime. Among the senators whose vote against the amendment might be seen as a surprise were Bennett, of Utah and McConnell, of Kentucky. (I'll assume that we should applaud their courage, but I wonder if there were factors other than idealism at work.) Maria Cantwell, Democrat of Washington who is a prime target of Republicans, deserves particular credit for voting no.

Also today, the FBI announced that it has abandoned its demand for the records of a library consortium in Connecticut. The victory was one of attrition--the courts have not ruled that the Patriot Act provision in question is unconstitutional--but in these perilous times for the bill of rights, even small triumphs are welcome.