On August 1st, I pointed out that Chertoff lied in an editorial published in mid-July in the USA-Today. Apparently he told the same lie to Wired in an interview on the 7th, and on the 8th Sen Russ Feingold echoed my comments exactly:

Secretary Chertoff's description of the newly published DHS policy on laptop searches was not just misleading – it was flat-out wrong. In an interview with Wired.com, the Secretary stated that "[w]e only do [laptop searches] when we put you into secondary [screening] and we only put you into secondary [screening] ... when there is a reason to suspect something."

But the actual policy that DHS published says the exact opposite.

Also note:

DHS spokesman Russ Knocke dismissed Feingold's statement, calling it "sour grapes and paranoia from someone who can't accept that even the 9th Circuit ruled that what we're doing is constitutional."

Hey Russ, have you read that 9th circuit decision? Can you explain what the hell the warrant exception for vehicle searches has to do with the standard of suspicion required to search laptops given that probable cause is required to search a home regardless of whether or not it is "readily mobile."

Chertoff Misleads on Laptop Searches, Feingold Charges | Threat Level from Wired.com