Rice hypocritical criticizing Pakistan

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, while speaking about Pakistan , stated: "We've been very clear that extraconstitutional means is not the way to deal with difficult circumstances."

Are you kidding me? The Bush administration is telling another country that they shouldn't go outside of their constitution? The same administration that has shrunk our own constitution with every move?

Amendment I (free speech) has gone out the window … among others, Valerie Plame was outed as a CIA agent after her husband exercised his First Amendment rights. IV (unreasonable searches and seizures) got tossed when the administration decided, without legislative authority, that it would ignore FISA and start illegally listening to its own citizens' phone calls. Amendment V (no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law) went down as the administration continues to name whomever it wants as "enemy combatants." VI (enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial) bit the dust with Abu Ghraib. Amendment VIII (no cruel and unusual punishments inflicted) went out the window as well, as seen in every newscast and newspaper.

Rice is correct that Pakistan should stick to its constitution … but so should this administration.

Colin Barr

Arlington Heights