But to some legal experts it is also part of a growing pattern of repression against protesters, demonstrators and dissenters. The American Civil Liberties Union says it has found many examples, like increased arrests and interrogations of protesters and the shunning of celebrities who have opposed the war in Iraq.

"When you connect the dots, you see very clearly a climate of chilled dissent and debate," said Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the civil liberties group.

Yeah, right. I'm sorry, 500,000 people march on Washington without a shot being fired, celebrities protest the war and get a higher profile then they ever could with their own meager talents (hello Jeneane Garafalo), universities crawl with neo-Nazi Leftist treason monkeys who get paid six figure salaries to lie to the youth of America, George Bush is regularly compared to a monkey, Adolf Hitler, and a retarded six year old--and this is a climate of chilled dissent and debate? There was dissent, there was a debate, you lost, get over it and stop whining you bloody Frenchmen.