Staying informed and staying safe (The left rationale for revealing classified information)

Inside Bay Area ^ | Dec 26, 2005 | Steve and Cokie Roberts

[Ben Mugged]

WHAT is the proper balance between protecting public safety and promoting public knowledge?

Thats a question news organizations face constantly, particularly at a time when American troops are in action overseas. The answer is that we in the media must take both values seriously. Freeing citizens from fear, and from ignorance, are both profound acts of patriotism, but sometimes they are in conflict.

The latest example of this conflict comes from the New York Times, where Steve worked for 25 years. Last week the paper disclosed a secret program of government eavesdropping that evaded clear requirements for judicial review. At the governments request, however, the Times held the story for a year and omitted some information that administration officials argued could be useful to terrorists.

Critics on both extremes exploded in anger. President Bush said the story should never have been published at all, and called the leak to the Times a shameful act that is helping the enemy. By delaying publication, stormed the liberal blog Daily Kos, the Times had cooperated in a moral crime (that) betrayed the American people.

Both of those arguments are wrong. By insisting on publication, the Times provided readers with important information they need to hold their leaders accountable. That decision was reinforced by the reaction on Capitol Hill. The Times story led directly to a decision by Arlen Specter, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to hold oversight hearings. There are limits to what a president can do under the Constitution, said Specter.

At the same time, The Times did not just rush blindly ahead with its scoop. It asked for the Administrations opinion and listened carefully. As executive editor Bill Keller put it, when faced with a convincing national security argument, the paper was willing to make compromises.

[Ben Mugged]

promoting public knowledge?

There is no longer any reason for Government employees to protect classified information since reporters can reveal this information with impunity. Even during war when revelation is a crime punishable by death.

Freeing citizens from fear, and from ignorance, are both profound acts of patriotism, but sometimes they are in conflict.

Only those who are truly ignorant are truly without fear. Nothing the MSM has revealed to me has reduced my fear, quite the contrary. I am now more afraid of what national secrets these morons will reveal next that will place my nation in peril.

[mtbopfuyn]

By insisting on publication, the Times provided readers with important information they need to hold their leaders accountable.

Oh, puleeze.

[rocksblues]

Arlen Specter has a weird way of thanking the administration for backing his re election.

[marty60]

The Left is so stupid that they refuse to accept the fact that some govt ops need to remain secret during a time of war.

[december12]

I've seen worse articles by liberals. The Robertses erred in calling the requirement of judicial review "clear." They made the news media seem wiser than they are. After all, how does the NY Times evaluate the security cost of making the program public? Still, as liberal articles go, this one isn't bad.

[litehaus]

Yep! Looking forward to the BARRETT (SP?) Report to be leaked in the NYT or the LAT any day now......

[Marine_Uncle]

The usefull idiots in many cases are simply stuck on stupid and regardless of what they say, itching for crap to print. And for those of them with carefully (or what used to appear as such) concealled agendas to take out the conservative movements, fool public to vote for commie libs etc., again they are simply usefull idiots. Of course relating to Stalin's game plan. For those with ears, hear, for the rest, casting pearls to the swine, becomes a tiresome activity after some thirty plus years (for me at least).

[picti]

The fact that NSA had arrangements with telecommunications companies to collect elint was not unknown in the public domain these many tears. It has been published in a number of books, including those semi-sponsored by NSA itself. Also, NSA has a close working relationship with GCHQ and no one can stop GCHQ from collecting in the USA or stop NSA from collecting in UK, and then swapping the take. The Times story is an old one, warmed up and rehashed as new for an apathetic public and to accomplish some purpose other that that claimed for it. I don't believe the cover story or even the backup justification. I do wonder who needs a "government intercepts US communications" tale out in the open to put some other tale of potentially illegal intercepts on the inside even numbered pages beneath the fold -- perhaps I'm too paranoid.

[Thickman]

I actually don't blame the NY Times. They can publish anything they want. The crime is the disclosure of the information by someone in the government. The Times should be required to disclose the source(s) and reporters jailed until they give them up. Then the (I assume) CIA traitors should be locked up and the key thrown away. But no, only the disclosure of wannabe secret agent names is worthy of a special counsel. Pleeeeeease! I Bush has the spine to appoint a special counsel for this atrocious act of treason.

[p23185]

By delaying publication, stormed the liberal blog Daily Kos, the Times had cooperated in a moral crime (that) betrayed the American people.

Such disgusting comments are not surprising coming from the liberal DemonRAT party and their followers and I believe it is treasonous. "Betrayal" is the act of NOT publishing national secrets???? What am I missing here, except there should be an electric chair being fired up somewhere in this country. Ethel and Julius Rosenberg

[Lancey Howard]

Publication of the story came during the week that the Patriot Act was up for renewal. Strictly a coincidence, I'm sure. Steve and Cokie's time has come and gone if they think anybody buys that. Gimme a break.

[speedy]

Exactly how does the public benefit from having stories like this and the terrorist prison story published? I'm sure that if the New York Times had come across the plans for the D-Day invasion they would have published that also as part of "the public's right to know."

[Deltaforceeoo7]

Isn't it true that every January, the house and senate vote on who they want to be leaders and chairmans of the different committees? Perhaps Arlen Spector will not be their choice in 2006...

[Txsleuth]

I agree with you...this article is biased and not worth debating..but, that is what we do...

So, I say that they gave way too much credit to Specter for wanting "oversight"...shoot, he is wanting POWER!

[TomGuy]

Cokie (and Steve), your 'defensiveness' is showing.

The answer is that we in the media must take both values seriously.

Oh, Coks-ster, that's spreading it a bit thick. Most media persons will say their first and foremost job is to put the story out, regardless. They know who it will hurt and who it will help. That is why they choose to publish or bury. It has little to do with journalistic integrity, Cokie, because 'journalistic integrity' is a fallacy.

Last week the paper disclosed a secret program of government eavesdropping that evaded clear requirements for judicial review.

The paper revealed that only when a book was in the works and the Patriot Act was up for renewal. Co-inki-dink? Yeh, right.

The Times story led directly to a decision by Arlen Specter, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to hold oversight hearings.

Cokie, Cokie, Cokie. You grew up Washington, so you should know better. Congresscritters hold oversight hearings at the drop of a hat. Most of them lead to nothing, but they make the chairman and some of the committee members look important and look like they are doing something. Then, they close the session and all head for the Capitol bar and have a few drinks and laugh it off.

The Times did not just rush blindly ahead with its scoop.

Its scoop? [Laughing out loud]. Cokie, anyone with 2 active brain cells would figure that the government were spying on potential terrorists --- here and abroad. After all, Cokie, remember the morning of 9-11-01? That woke up allot of people --- but many went back to pre-911 sleep, including most associated with the MSM.

===

Cokie, I didn't read further, but your article is good for a laugh. [Surely, you didn't mean it as a serious journalistic endeavor.]

[melancholy]

>>The Left is so stupid that they refuse to accept the fact that some govt ops need to remain secret during a time of war.<<

Oh yes, they'll accept it alright, only if a liberal president is in power.

Roosevelt wanted one of his best friends, the Chicago Tribune boss at the time, to be prosecuted and put in jail for leaking info in WW II that caused unnecessary American casualties in the pacific.

The liberal cowards will not stop yearning for more American casualties and "failures" until they have control of the government and beyond.

[sgtbono2002]

What it boils down to IMO is this, Did the Times reveal this information to let Americans know that our rights were being violated or did they reveal it in a plot to attack the President.

I think we all know the answer to that.

When we look at history we see that Abe Lincoln old " Honest Abe" violated just about every amendment in the Constitution, we look at Roosevelt and we see that he did the same. Locking up Japanese and Italians ,sending ships and planes to England in violation of the law. When we place Bush up against what these two and others have done. --lets not forget Kennedy when he was going to invade Cuba and had a sudden loss of courage.--Mr. Bush Listening in on conversations from Islamic terrorists is a bit tame.

Why have Liberals forgotten that we are at war.
The New York Times is helping the enemy to win.
The Democrats in the Senate are helping our enemies.
These are the same people who cried out about a lack of intelligence and want to tie the hands of our intelligence people behind their backs.
These are Political hacks revealing and adding aid and comfort to the enemy.

What the F is wrong with these people. ? Are they crazy?
Are they insane because they were defeated?Do they really hate our country to the point they would destroy it if they cant have it?

[justrepublican]

Yes

[p23185]

Exactly how does the public benefit from having stories like this and the terrorist prison story published?

It is clear as sunshine how the Loony Left feels they are benefiting!! They want every stone they can get to throw at Bush and bring on IMPEACHMENT. Even one of the contributors on here argued the NYT has not only a right, but an obligation to keep the public informed about what the evil Government is doing behind our backs!

[p23185]

What the F is wrong with these people. ? Are they crazy? Are they insane because they were defeated?Do they really hate our country to the point they would destroy it if they cant have it?

They are blinded with their hatred of President Bush and want him out of office no matter what it takes, even if it means destroying their own country. BACK IN POWER THAT IS ALL THEY WANT.