Op-Ed: Are You On The List of 'Unfriendly' Americans?

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During George Bush's first term as President James Comey was John Ashcroft's second-in-command at the Department of Justice. He was a loyal member of the Republican Party.

In front of Congress Comey spoke of what could be if the henchmen that are with George Bush could get away with it. And what could be is so sinister that it reads like a spy movie complete with high speed chases and chatelaine meetings that Comey demanded that a neutral witness be present.

Comey began to feel uneasy after reviewing the Bush administration's various domestic surveillance and spying programs. When he spoke to Congress he spoke of an operation so secret that not even the name could be used nor what the program was about could actually be talked on. What he could say though was prior to Ashcroft's surgery in March 2004 the pair had discussed and tried to decide if this operation was legal under federal statues. When Ashcroft was too ill to be in charge leaving Comey at the helm he opted not to certify the program.

The White House was not happy with this decision and basically told him to take his concerns and 'stuff them in an undisclosed location.'

Comey would not budge. Finally everything came to a head on March 10, 2004 hours before the program's authorization was to end. Instead of going to Comey who was technically in charge Chief of Staff Andrew Card and White House counsel Alberto Gonzales paid a visit to a very sick Ashcroft. When Comey was alerted of what was about to take place he raced through the streets of Washington D.C. and ran up the hospital stairs to get there ahead of Bush's sent little 'party.'

Bush's ploy did not work. Ashcroft may have been drugged but he was aware enough to tell the two men that he was not the acting attorney general and pointed to Comey, already in the room.

"I'm not the attorney general," Ashcroft told Bush's men. "There"—he pointed weakly to Comey—"is the attorney general."

The two men left the hospital room furious without even acknowledging Comey. The next day the program went forward bypassing the required signature from the Department of Justice attesting as to its legality at the demand of the White House.

So what is this program? While not for certain to all details we do know that it has to do with spying on the American people.

One speculation is that this program is keeping tabs on those Americans that the government considers potential threats in the case of a national emergency.

The information gathering of such people has been quite possibly been conducted outside the federal law. That cute little Fourth Amendment may not be so protecting to those who are the citizens that it is supposed to protect.

According to a senior government official with high security clearances the truth is that of science fiction novels.

"There exists a database of Americans, who, often for the slightest and most trivial reason, are considered unfriendly, and who, in a time of panic, might be incarcerated. The database can identify and locate perceived 'enemies of the state' almost instantaneously."

Known as Main Core there could be up to 8 million Americans on the list. If a national emergency happens those on the list will be subject to heightened surveillance and tracking or just thrown into a cell.

Are you on the list?

We all could be.

The truth can be rather frightening, can't it.