IMO it was obvious on that day what was going to happen. Just about everybody who wasn't immediately calling for such laws was predicting that they'd be made.

If you want insightful, this notorious article from The Onion, of all places, really takes the cake:

http://www.theonion.com/articles/bush-our-long-national-nigh...

That was months before 9/11 when just about everyone thought Bush was a harmless goof. I remember reading it (on paper!) when it came out and thinking it was amusing and way over the top.