Nat Hentoff charges Ashcroft with muzzling his prosecutors when it comes to speaking with members of Congress or their aides.

The Justice Department's Office of Legislative Affairs has, by order of the attorney general, instructed all members of the Justice Department to inform that office "ahead of time and as soon as possible" before they participate in any briefings on Capitol Hill or engage in "substantive conversations" with members of Congress or their staff on Capitol Hill.

Every Justice Department employee is to be tracked to make sure — said the directive — "that the Department speaks with one voice on Capitol Hill. ... Please let us know when you receive a phone call from, or plan to place a call, to House and Senate staff and members of Congress."

"Moreover," the memorandum adds, "in almost all cases ... we will accompany you to briefings." (In Iraq, before the war, this form of government supervision was exercised by "minders.")

Here is Republican Senator Charles Grassley's reaction:

Sen. Charles Grassley, Iowa Republican, called the directive "an attempt to muzzle whistleblowers," saying, on Fox News, that "we are all working for the American people to have maximum communication among the branches of government. This is an attempt to control information. We want to make sure that what we pass in Congress works the way we wanted it to, and that the money is spent the way we intended. We need a maximum flow of information to make the separation of powers work."

Grassley and Sen. Patrick Leahy are leading the charge to reject Ashcroft's secrecy and muzzling. Whistleblowers need protection and the FBI needs reform. Congress has to be allowed access to information detailing the Justice Department's use of its new and expanded powers. We have a right to know that these powers are being used as Congress intended when initially granting them--and that Ashcroft is not exceeding his rule-making authority.