'NYT' Editorial Explains Difference Between Plame and NSA Spying Leaks

Editor and Publisher ^ | 01/03/06 | E&P Staff

[Pikamax]

'NYT' Editorial Explains Difference Between Plame and NSA Spying Leaks

By E&P Staff

Published: January 03, 2006 10:30 PM ET

NEW YORK Declaring that "this seems a good moment to try to clear away the fog around this issue," a New York Times editorial for Wednesday attempted to describe the difference between radically diffrent types of leaks.

Two of the newspaper's high-profile reporters, Judith Miller (who recently resigned) and James Risen, have been at the center of two very serious current leak probes.

"A democratic society cannot long survive if whistle- blowers are criminally punished for revealing what those in power don't want the public to know - especially if it's unethical, illegal or unconstitutional behavior by top officials," the newspaper declares. "Reporters need to be able to protect these sources, regardless of whether the sources are motivated by policy disputes or nagging consciences."

The editorial then examines the Plame/CIA leak, citing "a world of difference between that case and a current one in which the administration is trying to find the sources of a New York Times report that President Bush secretly authorized spying on American citizens without warrants. The spying report was a classic attempt to give the public information it deserves to have. The Valerie Wilson case began with a cynical effort by the administration to deflect public attention from hyped prewar intelligence on Iraq. ...

"When the government does not want the public to know what it is doing, it often cites national security as the reason for secrecy. The nation's safety is obviously a most serious issue, but that very fact has caused this administration and many others to use it as a catchall for any matter it wants to keep secret, even if the underlying reason for the secrecy is to prevent embarrassment to the White House. The White House has yet to show that national security was harmed by the report on electronic spying, which did not reveal the existence of such surveillance - only how it was being done in a way that seems outside the law."

Concluding by mentioning a third leak probe, regarding The Washington Post's revelations about secret prison camps for terror suspects, the Times observes, "Illegal spying and torture need to be investigated, not whistle-blowers and newspapers."

[carumba]

With tongue in cheek I speculate about who will make a run at ownership of Times if the stock values continue to drop. As I understand it the Times is used by other news agencies to set coverage and stories to persue and editorials. So if the circulation continues to drop; influence, ad space, editorial slant, elitist la-di-dah will be for sale.

[Cementjungle]

I feel that all this BS and NYT stories is to sell newspapers and book deals, ONLY. The declining sells have caused them to do anything they can get away with, to stay in business.

They have what may be a case of terminal Tabloiditis.

[SkyPilot]

'NYT' Editorial Explains Difference Between Plame and NSA Spying Leaks

"You see, we hate GW Bush and want Democrats in power. Sooooo, we stirred up the phony Plame thingy to try to get Karl Rove indicted because we hate him too. But, that didn't work so well. Soooo, we were partners in a treasonous act with Democrat Senators and former Clinton appointees in the CIA and NSA to expose National Security secrets because we could "spin" it that Bush wants to spy in people's bedrooms. We realized this would hurt America's safety, but we hate America too, so what the hell. Got it?"

Arthur Sulzburger and William Keller of the NY Slimes

[SkyPilot]

"A democratic society cannot long survive if whistle- blowers are criminally punished for revealing what those in power don't want the public to know - especially if it's unethical, illegal or unconstitutional behavior by top officials," the newspaper declares.

"OK, ok, ok - except Linda Tripp and any "whistle-blowers" that expose the wrong doings of Democrats. Sheesh! Oh, and we at the NY Times really hated Tripp. We had our cartoonists make hateful sketches of her and we published them."

[PogySailor]

Pew, the garbage truck went past early this morning. They left this stinking mound behind.

What a bunch of rationalizing treason / criminal actions.

[driftless]

The Slimes had to find the sharpest knife ever created to split this liberal ideology-created hair.

[gitmo]

I suppose publishing the existence of secret military prisons "was a classic attempt to give the public information it deserves to have." As was the publishing of the tail numbers of CIA aircraft. We really deserved to know those numbers. And what would our enemies want with information like the locations of military bases and the way to identify our aircraft?

[leprechaun9]

There is no difference in these two stories from the Jayson Blair Times = THEY ARE BOTH 'HATE PRESIDENT BUSH'! This is the primary motivation of all the efforts at the fish wrapper!

[patj]

Reporters need to be able to protect these sources, regardless of whether the sources are motivated by policy disputes or nagging consciences."

Given that it is the NYT, how do we know that there are "sources"? Maybe they are making the whole thing up out of thin air.... what those in power don't want the public to know -... could apply to the NYT. We the people have a right to know the whole story, like who their "sources" are.

[Just mythoughts]

The Times did love Linda Tripp!!! (gag)

[Jimmy Valentine]

C. Y. A. Ain't going to work.

[jimbo123]

Risen's book is FLOPPING! It won't even make the NY Times best seller list. And the author is on his way to jail and some hefty legal bills.

State of War : The Secret History of the C.I.A. and the Bush Administration (Hardcover)
by James Risen

Amazon.com Sales Rank:
Today: #16 in Books

Barnes & Noble Sales Rank: 31

[RedEyeJack]

NYT misses the point even when they manage to spell out the differences. What happened with Plame was about politics, shaping public opinion. Any national security issue quickly went away (except for the editors at the NYT) when it was learned that Plame was outside the bounds for being a covert agent. The NSA leak IS about national security and the compromise of an ongoing operation through the UNAUTHORIZE and ILLEGAL release of information deem vital to national security by proper authority. Scooter Libby is not charged with a national security violation. He has been indicted for not telling the truth to a grand jury about political manipulations. Whoever leaked the NSA story committed a national security violation and should be punished accordingly.

[Dog]

This is an editorial from a bunch of scared people....you can almost sense the fear as you read this.

[PigRigger]

NYT misses the point even when they manage to spell out the differences. What happened with Plame was about politics, shaping public opinion. Any national security issue quickly went away (except for the editors at the NYT) when it was learned that Plame was outside the bounds for being a covert agent. The NSA leak IS about national security and the compromise of an ongoing operation through the UNAUTHORIZE and ILLEGAL release of information deem vital to national security by proper authority.

You hit the bullseye....their own spin condemns them....no other word except treason describes their actions.......

If they were really concerned about our national security, this could have been handled in a much more discretionary manner....

Simply put, that was not their intent and it never was....

[KarlInOhio]

"A democratic society cannot long survive if whistle- blowers are criminally punished for revealing what those in power don't want the public to know - especially if it's unethical, illegal or unconstitutional behavior by top officials,"

Will the Times be as enthusiastic about whistle blowers if the unexpurgated version of the Barrett report detailing the Clintons' use of the IRS against political enemies is leaked to the public? I believe that they will be outraged at the miscarriage of justice by releasing information we were not supposed to know.

[txroadhawg]

You dont think a potential whistelblower would reconsider leaking the Barret report now, do you?

[wouldntbprudent]

The leakers of the Plame info (assuming--BIG IF--this was even a leak) also could be styled as a whistleblower.

The crime against the nation was that a CIA officer used her public position of trust to recommend her husband, a partisan and stoopid political hack, for a mission of importance to national security, knowing and planning for him to misuse his position to attack and undermine the President during a time of war.

According to the NYS, that is not whistleblowing HOW?

See, the thing for the Rats is that it ALL DEPENDS ON YOUR INTENTIONS. And THEY get to decide WHICH INTENTIONS are worthy.

[SAMS]

See,now that one makes more sense to me! Thanks for the translation...

[wildcatf4f3]

may the nyt stock continue its slide til they can't afford a drop of ink.