Spy on Your Neighbor, Get on TV?

The American Civil Liberties Union is denouncing the Bush administration's "surreal" decision to channel Operation TIPS calls to FOX-TV's "America's Most Wanted" program. "It's a completely inappropriate and frightening intermingling of government power and the private sector," said ACLU's Rachel King. "What's next - the government hires Candid Camera to do its video surveillance?" The arrangement between FBI and Fox was discovered when writer David Lindorff signed up for Operation TIPS, which encourages Americans to inform the government about "suspicious activities" by their neighbors. Lindorff called to inquire about the status of his application and was shocked when the Justice Department instructed him to phone a receptionist for "America's Most Wanted."