My latest column is up. Excerpt:

The New York Times, American Civil Liberties Union, anti-Bush protesters and Muslim activists are all apoplectic over the FBI’s efforts to prevent violence and terrorism. Agents are — gasp — knocking on doors and asking questions. Based on these basic intelligence-gathering actions, the civil liberties alarmists are convinced that the constitutional sky is falling.

On Monday, the Times published a front-page story that painted FBI agents as jack-booted thugs bent on scaring the pants off of innocent, do-gooder college kids. A Tuesday Times editorial bemoaned how “(s)ix investigators recently descended on Sarah Bardwell, a 21-year-old intern with a Denver antiwar group, who quite reasonably took away the message that the government was watching her closely.” The editorialists concluded: “The knock on the door from government investigators asking about political activities is the stuff of totalitarian regimes.”

Oh, give me a break. Getting shocked with cattle prods for practicing one’s faith is the “stuff of totalitarian regimes.” Getting locked up in an iron maiden for losing a soccer match is the “stuff of totalitarian regimes.” Answering a few questions about possible domestic terrorism is the stuff of responsible citizenship…

The rest is here.

Meanwhile, Democrats are calling for an investigation of the FBI and NYC Mayor Bloomberg is trying to bribe demonstrators into good behavior with “discounts at select hotels, museums, stores and restaurants.” Good grief.

Move America Forward, a “pro-War on Terrorism” group, has been monitoring the protest groups and plans to counter their effort. Founder Howard Kaloogian says:

“We have to realize that this is a battle for the hearts and minds of the American public. And since we know the news media will be sympathetic to the message of the anti-war crowd, we will have to broadcast our message direct and unfiltered to the public through the use of television and radio commercials,” said Kaloogian.

Kaloogian says Move America Forward is on a fundraising push for the next several weeks to reach their goal of over $5 million for their national television and radio ad blitz. The group is asking for help from Americans who want to see another voice to balance the lopsided coverage from the mainstream media.

“We’ve done smaller advertising buys to date, having raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, but now the stakes are being raised and we must be ready to respond to the “Blame America First” crowd at every turn…

More on the Move America Forward ad campaign here.