Senators need to ask Kevin O'Connor, nominee to be third-ranking offical at Justice, about his abuse of the Patriot Act with librarians

Joe Sudbay, AmericaBlog.com: A scathing op-ed in today's Hartford Courant gives background on George Bush's nominee to be the third ranking official at the Department of Justice, Kevin O'Connor. Most interesting, the denunciation of O'Connor was written by a Connecticut Republican. O'Connor demonstrated the excesses of the Bush administration in a case he brought -- and lost -- against Connecticut librarians under the Patriot Act. Yes, librarians:

The test of whether an official is worthy of power is how he exercises it when the law shuts out public scrutiny. Connecticut U.S. Attorney Kevin O'Connor failed that test in 2005 when he thought no one was looking at his abuse of the USA Patriot Act. His own incompetence, however, allowed light to shine on his battle in the shadows against four upright Connecticut librarians.

The U.S. Senate can take a stand for individual liberty by rejecting President Bush's nomination of O'Connor to a high-ranking position in the Justice Department that includes overseeing the enforcement of civil rights.

O'Connor not only lost the case, he made a mockery of the proceeding. Read the op-ed. O'Connor fits the mold of a loyal Bushie who has no regard for civil liberties. We've had enough of those types.