NY Times Statement on Judith Miller

The Forward ^ | Friday, Kuly 15, 2005 | Catherine Mathis

[kristinn]

"Ms. Miller learned about Valerie Plame from a confidential source or sources whose identity she continues to protect to this day. If the suggestion is that she is covering up for herself or some fictitious source, that is preposterous. Given that she is suffering in jail, it is also mean-spirited."

[edcoil]

1. Must be liberal/socialist
2. Must be anti-AMERICAN
3. Must be qualified propagandist/liar
4. Must be tied to the MSM umbilical cord
5. Must have access to classified information
6. Must have access to personnel/personal files (FBI, etc.)
7. Must be dedicated to the destruction of the Bush Administration
8. Must...

OK, I'll guess. Sandy Burger
Maybe why he stole secret documents.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Well, it makes her a victim of the government..... other than that ????????

[Southack]

"The Times is actually correct, because Miller is protecting THEM, and not herself. She is toast anyway, since she cant figure out how best to lie to the Grand Jury. She is being paid to protect her employer."

Lets not speculate. Here's what we *know*. A Grand Jury, investigating a possible crime, called Judith Miller to testify. She refused. She was jailed.

We also know that someone (possibly plural)...leaked classified data to her (a crime). Further, we know that Miller never wrote an article on this matter.

In short, we know that Miller isn't fighting for 1st Amendment rights, as she had no article in play on the matter. Moreover, we know that she witnessed a crime (i.e. leaking classified data) and refused to testify about it.

If she witnessed a murder or a rape or any other crime, we'd all be clear on why she was jailed for refusing to testify about that crime. Nor would any "shield" law (existing or proposed) give her the privilege of avoiding the witness stand in regards to *any* crime that she witnessed.

So we don't have to speculate on her motives. We know from the available facts that she's a scumbag capable of denying Americans their 6th Amendment right to know their accuser, that she deserves to be jailed for refusing to testify about a crime to which she is a material witness.

Contrary to the hysterical news media and a few chat forums, this whole issue isn't about Karl Rove or 1st Amendment fights.

It's about one sick lady who refuses to testify about a crime that she witnessed...and who is in jail, rightfully so, for her illegal behavior.

[RedRover]

I snuck a peak at their site. Yikes! The stupid level is at orange alert and rising fast!

[Southack]

"She is only in jail for refusing to verify the source of her information..."

No, she's in jail because she refuses to testify about a CRIME that she witnessed.

Leaking classified data is still a crime, remember.

[Phsstpok]

Miller is not a government employee so under the law, revealing Palm's(sic) name would not be a crime for her.

I still think she would be subject to the law in question. It don't think it specifies that someone has to be a government employee to break it, just that they must have learned about the person's position through classified sources.

But let's assume that your interpretation is correct. The next statement doesn't necessarily follow:

She has no need to take the 5th.

She may have need of the 5th amendment right against self incrimination because of some other crime involved, such as participation in a crimnal conspiracy, or even treason.

She is only in jail for refusing to verify the source of her information

Not exactly. Even if that's the question asked, she's in prison for refusing to answer a question before the Grand Jury that the courts have ruled she is required to answer. We also don't know, for a fact, that this is the question she is refusing to answer. The Grand Jury proceedings are secret to this point. The prosecutor may be asking her other questions and she is making a blanket refusal to answer and hiding behind the "protecting my source" issue as a ruse.

I agree 100% on demanding Joe Wilson answer questions, along with that slime Korn. Hannity and Rush have both been on this in the last 24 hours. Watch this issue disappear now, since it's turning out to be more of a problem for the left than for the right.

[hispanarepublicana]

Didn't Judith Miller a while back get in trouble for making up a quote and a source on an unrelated story? Did I dream that?

[BlessedByLiberty]

He's one of my suspects. LOL!

There are two former WH occupants that also come to mind. also one of the reporters is Mr. Cooper-Gruenwald, Mrs. Gruenwald-Cooper is and adviser to Mrs. Clinton. All were on the cocktail circuit and connected to that WH.

[oceanview]

I don't believe that is true.

[savedbygrace]

I'm not saying Miller's source is the same as Novak's, but Novak said a long time ago that his source was not in the WH, but was in the administration. Because he also said he called the CIA to confirm before publishing, the chances are slim that the source is inside the agency (but not out of the question.)

I'm thinking State. (Maybe Miller's source inhabits Foggy Bottom, too.)

[Alberta's Child]

The 5th Amendment protections against self-incrimination don't apply to Grand Jury testimony.

Sure they do. In fact, that's where these protections are usually applied (since prosecutors don't even call defendants to the witness stand by a prosecutor in criminal cases).

What you may be thinking here is that 5th Amendment protections don't apply in cases where the witness is given immunity from prosecution by the prosecutor.

[BlessedByLiberty]

Applause for that analysis!

[ravingnutter]

She may not have been the source of her own info, but IMHO, she was the one that was peddling the info (as they accused Rove of doing). It has already been determined that Rove and Libby were told by journalists/reporters and it wasn't Cooper and it wasn't Novak, because Rove and Libby knew before they got those calls.

Okay...a new angle to consider...something I came across earlier today in some research a story about some employees who resigned from the CIA as a result of confrontations with Goss and his aide, Patrick Murray. Those people specifically cited Murray as the reason. Now here is where it gets interesting:

...on Nov. 5, Murray raised the issue of leaks with the associate deputy director of counterintelligence. Referring to previous media leaks regarding personnel, he said that if anything in the newly appointed executive director’s personnel file made it into the media, the counterintelligence official “would be held responsible,” according to one agency official and two former colleagues with knowledge of the conversation.

Also according to that article, it must be noted that the associate deputy director of counterintelligence's name was being withheld because she is undercover.

Source

[Alberta's Child]

But what I cant figure out is why this reporter would sit in jail to cover for this these people.

Think of it as a career move. Would anyone outside the NY Times even know Judith Miller's name today if it weren't for her sanctimonious idiocy in this case?

[expatpat]

The smart thing for the WH or a cut-out to do would be to take a page out of the lib handbook and start making accusations. Accuse Wilson of being the leak source for Miller -- and let him defend himself. Dirty pool, but the Dem'rats do it all the time. Why fight 'em with one hand tied behind your back?

[Alberta's Child]

She gets more media exposure this way, and she'll walk out of jail in a few months as a "martyr" to their cause. Think of this as an investment on her part -- four months in jail in exchange for a lucrative book deal and a tour of the talk-show circuit in October.

[Alberta's Child]

Great post.

Southack says . . . You've got a very good handle on this story. ;-)

[Toidylop]

Someone should have a link about Judidth Miller skirting the law bordering to criminality in the past about WOT

[ravingnutter]

Terrance J. Wilkinson

Wilkinson is a fictitious figure, Doug Thompson was conned.

[Hildy]

Guarantee the NY Times is padding her paycheck while in jail. She's being paid off. I hope it's worth it.