Back Off

Good news on the civil liberties front? Maybe:

WASHINGTON — In a slap at President Bush, lawmakers voted Wednesday to block the Justice Department and the FBI from using the Patriot Act to peek at library records and bookstore sales slips.

The House voted 238-187 despite a veto threat from Bush to block the part of the anti-terrorism law that allows the government to investigate the reading habits of terror suspects.

Bush made it through his entire first term – and some record-setting pork barrel spending – without once picking up his veto pen. I doubt he’ll use it now for such a petty cause.