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Critics of the USA Patriot Act want the kind of real debate they were denied when the sweeping anti-terrorism law was passed 45 days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says he's willing to accommodate them, but he wants all the law's expiring provisions to be renewed. Gonzales was headed to Capitol Hill on Tuesday no less determined than his predecessor to defend the Patriot Act against arguments that it intrudes into people's lives. But Gonzales is employing a softer tone than John Ashcroft while making the point that the law has helped prevent another terrorist attack on U.S. soil. Gonzales was invited to testify Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee and before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. FBI Director Robert Mueller, who also wants full reauthorization of the Patriot Act, was to join Gonzales for his Senate appearance. The Patriot Act is the post-Sept. 11 law that expanded the government's surveillance and prosecutorial powers against suspected terrorists, their associates and financiers. Most of the law is permanent, but 15 provisions will expire in December unless renewed by Congress. [more]

Gonzales Lied About Brandon Mayfield Detainment: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has finally fessed up to one of the more egregious abuses of the Patriot Act. The case: an Oregon lawyer named Brandon Mayfield. Mayfield, a Muslim, was wrongly arrested and detained for two weeks by the FBI in connection with the train bombings in Madrid after investigators mistakenly thought fingerprints found near the scene matched his. (They didn't; in fact, some of the "miscellaneous Spanish documents" presented as evidence to detain Mayfield were later identified as his children's Spanish homework.) Mayfield contended the U.S. government used the Patriot Act to search his house and his personal information in order to portray him as a militant. The Justice Department denied it. Just yesterday, Gonzales first denied the Patriot Act was used in this case, saying, "I think we have said publicly – if not, I guess I'm saying it publicly – that the Patriot Act was not used in connection with the Brandon Mayfield case." Later, in response to a question asked by Sen. Diane Feinstein, Gonzales backtracked and acknowledged that, yes, in fact provisions of the Patriot Act were used to investigate Mayfield: "You asked me specifically about the Mayfield case and I'm advised that there were certain provisions of the Patriot Act that apparently were used." [more]