As those who have suffered throughout the UK and Ireland as a result of the excesses of the Prevention of Terrorism Acts know, yesterday's action by the House, and today's anticipated action by the Senate, will bring in the most sweeping erasure of constitutional rights ever seen in the U.S.

Those who support this measure will, I'm sure, not be bothered by it, as they are "good citizens" who have nothing to fear from the police, the FBI, the CIA, Treasury, National Security Agency, et al.

Besides, they'll probably be too busy turning the rest of us in for our unAmerican activities.

If you thought the McCarthy era was bad...