Fool me once…

…it’s on you; fool me twice it’s on me.

Last year the Republicans tried at the last minute to slip into a budget bill a clause that would have allowed members of the Congressional budget committee the ability to inspect anyone’s tax records merely by request, apparently hoping no one would notice. But their shell game was noticed and they immediately backed away from the clause, of course, pleading that snooping was never their intent.

Now Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, has offered legislation that would make legal after the fact what President Bush has been doing illegally (eavesdropping on Americans). A provision in the bill seems to say that any reporter who writes anything about government surveillance could face prosecution, including fines up to a million dollars and serious jail time. In other words official censorship of the press

Yes, a staffer for DeWine has said that muzzling the press was never the intent and that a “technical fix” on the proposed legislation was probably necessary.

Just an innocent error that can be fixed? Or yet another Republican Constitution-flouting power grab they hoped no one would notice? Fool me once…