Democrats and DNA Databases

The Democratic Party has long gained political capital and much of its identity by holding itself out as a champion of civil liberties. From supporting free speech to protecting individuals' privacy, Democrats have presented themselves as defenders of the basic principle that government should protect fundamental rights, and certainly not trample them. Yet recent developments suggest that this commitment to civil liberties may be wavering in one important respect: DNA databases.

Three recent political maneuvers highlight a troubling trend: Democrats' endorsement of giving government unprecedented powers to expand the size of DNA databases by lowering the bar for collecting and retaining individuals' DNA samples. Earlier this year, President Obama voiced his support for storing the profiles of those arrested but not convicted of certain crimes in DNA databases, saying "it's the right thing to do."

Along similar lines, Governor David Paterson of New York has introduced legislation -- initially conceived by former Governor Eliot Spitzer, also a Democrat -- that will roughly double the size of the state database by including not only individuals arrested for felonies, but many convicted...