How Many Little-Known Provisions Of The Patriot Act Are There?

Another one was unearthed today, giving Alberto Gonzales the power to finally realize his dreams of killing more people.

The Justice Department is putting the final touches on regulations that could give Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales important new sway over death penalty cases in California and other states, including the power to shorten the time that death row inmates have to appeal convictions to federal courts.

The rules implement a little-noticed provision in last year's reauthorization of the Patriot Act that gives the attorney general the power to decide whether individual states are providing adequate counsel for defendants in death penalty cases. The authority has been held by federal judges.

Under the rules now being prepared, if a state requested it and Gonzales agreed, prosecutors could use "fast track" procedures that could shave years off the time that a death row inmate has to appeal to the federal courts after conviction in a state court.

I ask again, does anyone in Congress read these bills? Are we going to read in the paper come January 2009 that another little-known provision sets up a House of Bush line of succession that conveys lifetime executive branch status on Queen Jenna and Princess NotJenna?

Death penalty cases are consistently overturned, as the flawed system has disproportionately convicted innocent men and women who were too poor for effective representation. Under the new system, America will become more like Texas was under George W. Bush, when his counsel - yep, Abu Gonzales! - would write perfunctory clemency summaries that were scrupulously ignored.

The death penalty system in this country is a mess, and until that is sorted no new powers to execute the potentially innocent should be given to anyone, least of all Abu G.

UPDATE: The article does make the point that this spins off of the "Effective Death Penalty Act" of 1996, signed into law by Bill Clinton, which was an opening to kill people faster (I think it came right out of the Oklahoma City bombing case and the attendant fearmongering).