Now I know I'm mixing a little bit of apples and oranges here, but remember when there was a big uprorar not too long ago (by Bush critics mostly) when NASA scientist James Hansen was being harassed into not giving speeches that contravened Bush policy? After all , who would be for stifling dissenting opinions in the search for truth?

The ACLU might be an example.

ACLU May Block Criticism by Its Board.

"Where an individual director disagrees with a board position on matters of civil liberties policy, the director should refrain from publicly highlighting the fact of such disagreement," the committee that compiled the standards wrote in its proposals.

"Directors should remember that there is always a material prospect that public airing of the disagreement will affect the A.C.L.U. adversely in terms of public support and fund-raising," the proposals state.