File under: What if Bush did it?

The Democrats' latest assault on the Constitution comes in the form of the Cybersecurity Act of 2009. American Thinker quotes the Center for Democracy and Technology, hardly a source of right-wing hysteria:

A cybersecurity bill introduced today in the Senate would give the federal government extraordinary power over private sector Internet services, applications and software. The Cybersecurity Act of 2009 would, for example, give the President unfettered power to shut down Internet traffic in emergencies or disconnect any critical infrastructure system or network on national security grounds. The bill would grant the Commerce Department the ability to override all privacy laws to access any information about Internet usage in connection with a new role in tracking cybersecurity threats. The bill, introduced by Sens. John Rockefeller and Olympia Snowe, would also give the government unprecedented control over computer software and Internet services, threatening innovation, freedom and privacy. CDT President and CEO Leslie Harris said, "The cybersecurity threat is real, but such a drastic federal intervention in private communications technology and networks could harm both security and privacy."

Of course, I couldn't resist including the graphic from American Thinker, which comes from iOwnTheWorld.com.