[rface]

Bill Israel teaches journalism at the University of Massachusetts (Amherst). He has worked for several failing newpapers.

[Paul Atreides]

I remember an episode of The X-Files, in which The Cigarette-Smoking Man was the one pulling the strings behind everything, including which films won the Academy Award.

The left's obsession with Rove is so entertaining.

[DTogo]

But neither charm nor political power should be permitted to subvert the First Amendment, which is intended to insure that reporters and citizens burrow fully and publicly into government, not insulate its players from felony, or reality.

HA! The same felony and reality the press inuslated Clinton from??

[Chuck54]

bttt

[TheGeezer]

Reporters are above the law in all ways with their craft and must be granted all possible immunity from law enforement even if they and their sources break the law, unless their stories touch Republicans, Christianity, pro-life advocacy, traditional patriotism, and sexual self-constraint. In those cases, reporters must be compelled - even with the death penalty - to reveal everything about their sources and must even aid in the destruction of their sources.

I thought everyone knew that.

[rface]

DUmmies chase the Red Herring.......

[FormerACLUmember]

The left wingnuts are so deceitful, they would have you believe that an American Hero Karl Rove controls the media.

[VRWCmember]

Consequently, when former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson challenged President Bush’s lie that Saddam Hussein imported yellow-cake uranium from Niger to produce nuclear weapons, retaliation by Rove was never in doubt.

First, President Bush did not claim Hussein had imported yellow-cake uranium (or any kind of uranium) from Niger (or any other specific country in Africa).
Second, Bush's statement (how could anybody forget those "16 words") was that we had learned from British intelligence that Hussein had recently attempted to import uranium from Africa; the British intelligence community continues to stand by that report.
Third, Rove didn't need to retaliate as the new media were able to find plenty of Wilson's own statements to discredit his opportunistic cheap shots at the President.

[marron]

Does he seriously believe that the New York Times would risk jail to protect the White House?

Seriously?

Consequently, when former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson challenged President Bush’s lie that Saddam Hussein imported yellow-cake uranium from Niger to produce nuclear weapons, retaliation by Rove was never in doubt.

This is a lie within a lie. Bush didn't accuse Iraq of importing yellow-cake, he accused them of aspiring to import it, which was demonstrably true based on information available publicly.

Wilson himself is a liar. His statements are riddled with inaccuracies, which any newsman should have been able to pick apart given the interest and will to do so.

Iraq's trade mission to Niger was public knowledge (why Bush credited British intelligence with it is beyond me, since it wasn't secret). What we have learned since is that Niger secretly smuggled yellow-cake to Libya (Wilson's "proof" that Niger would never engage in illegal sales was that, well, they were illegal).

[ravingnutter]

And he has inside info that Karl was the source of the leak...how? I say:

Put Mr. Israel in jail until he reveals his source!!!!!!

[mewzilla]

Bill Israel teaches journalism at the University of Massachusetts (Amherst).

That's not journalism he's teaching...

[Cicero]

I never heard of Editor and Publisher until they started running anti-Bush stories this past year. They seem to be somewhere to the left of Mao TseTung and somewhat stupider than al gore.

[bjc]

Fortunately, Mr Israel has a paper trail that indicates that his alleged familiarity with Mr Rove is somewhat over-stated. His politics are exactly what you would expect from a journalism professor at UMass.

http://www.dailycollegian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2001/09/12/3b9eec7ab008c?in_archive=1

Prof Israel maintained that 9/11 was Bush's fault for neglecting the Palestinians!!

He was a graduate student when he supposedly taught with Mr Rove! Seems to me that he suffers from similar delusions to Ward Churchill.

[bray]

YAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWN, blink blink blink, scratch scratch, ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ......

Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters

[NathanBookman]

I love the way this Israel guy begins by stating he is friends with Rove and then proceeds to stab Rove in the back with unsubstantiated claims. It's like Durbin (or other libs) saying they support the troops and then in the same breath compare our soldiers to Nazi's. Do they believe everyone is that stupid?

[TommyDale]

Supposing the reporter says, "Karl, if the CIA agent is Valerie Plame, and you can't tell me that, but if you say 'red' when I show you a blue card, I will know what you are really saying." The reporter holds up a blue card, Karl says "Red". Does that make Karl a criminal?

[paul51]

Rove is a political strategist. If he uses anyone, whose fault is that?

[El Gato]

neither reporters Cooper nor Miller, nor their publications, nor anyone in journalism should protect the behavior of Rove (or anyone else) through an undiscerning, blanket use of the First Amendment that weakens its protections by its gross misuse.

It's not the leaker that is using or abusing the first amendment right of freedom of the press, it's the person who prints or broadcasts the information.

Leftists are always quick to shout "Freedom of the Press" when the subject is protecting criminal or terrorist sources. But let the source be suspected to be someone close to President Bush, well that's a horse of different color. (Or in this case a horse's ass of a different color).

[atlanta67]

how in the world does he know Rove leaked the name?

[mystery-ak]

I'm sorry..I find it hard to believe that these two rat reporters(given the chance) would not *out* Rove if he was the leaker....someone convince me if I'm wrong

[mystery-ak]

Thought you two might be interested.....tell me why two rat reporters are willing to go to jail for Rove..