STOP!!! THEY'RE INVESTIGATING LEAKS!!!

NRO ^ | 03/05/06 | Byron York

[StatenIsland]

The Washington Post sounds the alarm this morning with a front page story headlined "White House Trains Efforts on Media Leaks; Sources, Reporters Could Be Prosecuted." It seems the administration is actively looking for the sources of those damaging leaks about the NSA surveillance program and the CIA's so-called "secret prisons" abroad. That has upset some journalists, according to the Post:

"There's a tone of gleeful relish in the way they talk about dragging reporters before grand juries, their appetite for withholding information, and the hints that reporters who look too hard into the public's business risk being branded traitors," said New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller, in a statement responding to questions from The Washington Post. "I don't know how far action will follow rhetoric, but some days it sounds like the administration is declaring war at home on the values it professes to be promoting abroad." It sounds nice, but it's a little too late for that kind of talk, isn't it? Keller's own newspaper led the fight for the Valerie Wilson CIA leak investigation, cheering the appointment of a special prosecutor with powers that exceeded even the old independent counsels. And what happened? That special prosecutor went to the White House and got government sources to waive confidentiality restrictions on their talks with journalists. Then he went to journalists and said, "See? I've got these waivers. You can testify or you can go to jail." And then he sent one of them to jail and threatened others. And so far, at least, he hasn't found enough evidence to charge anyone with a national-security crime.

Too late, the Times and its allies realized that a terrible precedent had been set. Now some of them try to argue that the Wilson leak was an act of retribution, while the NSA and secret prisons leaks were the work of good-government whistleblowers, so one should be vigorously prosecuted while the others are ignored. It won't work. Leaks are leaks, and the NSA and secret prisons leaks were, by any estimation, far more damaging to national security than the Wilson leak. (In that case, the special prosecutor said in court recently that he did not intend to show that any damage occurred from the leak.)

So now there are more investigations going on. The Times and its supporters wanted this kind of thing. Now they've got it.

[finnman69]

I will not be satisfied until additional WAPO, AP, Reuters, and NYTimes reporters serve jail time for leaking classified information and refusing to cooperate with investigations.

[Cruz]

Bout time

[xcamel]

Boo-Yeah!

[AmericaUnite]

Bump

[Dallas59]

Has anyone published the addresses and maps of the people involved? I say give them a taste of there own medicine.

[nuconvert]

"There's a tone of gleeful relish in the way they talk about dragging reporters before grand juries..."

I'm feeling gleeful relish myself. (goes good on a hot dog)

[DTogo]

"There's a tone of gleeful relish in the way they talk about dragging reporters before grand juries

How about dragging them before firing squads instead?

[southernerwithanattitude]

About time!

[TomGuy]

Sandy Bergler pretty much got away with his deeds of pilfer and destruction of classified documents.

I doubt much will happen to reporters, who certainly have Constitutional protection.

The reporters' sources, however, are another matter. They should be found and prosecuted. [But I doubt they will. One or two low-level governmental employees may get prosecuted as 'examples', but that will be it.]

[Old Badger]

"There's a tone of gleeful relish in the way they talk about dragging reporters before grand juries, their appetite for withholding information, and the hints that reporters who look too hard into the public's business risk being branded traitors," said New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller

They are TRAITORS along with most of the Democrats in congress and their Republican enablers. They are selling this country out in more ways that this.......... think illegal aliens, NAFTA, CAFTA,etc., etc. I could go on ad in-nausea.

[Right_in_Virginia]

So now there are more investigations going on. The Times and its supporters wanted this kind of thing. Now they've got it.

Good.

[Semi Civil Servant]

Some government "secrets" would be harmless if they were leaked.

The NSA leak is of a different type. Its release may well lead to many, many deaths. If editors publish genuine secrets that involve life and death, they should be prosecuted and jailed if convicted. Ditto for the leaker. The press has hidden its treachery behind the words "freedom of speech" for too long. I hope that is about to change.

[McGavin999]

Good. Maybe they need to understand that if they are going to claim the privilage of freedom of the press, they have a responsibility to make sure that the country that upholds those rights continues to exist.

For too long, the MSM has been the home to too many that hate this country. They prefer to be "citizens of the world", fine, let them go live in "the world" we're better off without them.

[afz400]

"And then he sent one of them to jail and threatened others."
I guess I still have a problem about putting people in jail without a trial. And I have a problem believing that the government (either under Democrats or Republicans) is always to be believed or trusted. If the government is engaged in illegal activity, whistleblowers like Linda Tripp should be encouraged,IMHO.

[DUMBGRUNT]

The public has a right to know!

EVERYTHING!
Do they drink? How much? What?
Drugs? Ever?
Lust in the heart? Whom or what?...

[bert]

Fear not low poll numbers. Raise them by destroying the credibility of the pollsters.

Stratergey in TEGWAR. (The Excellant game without any rules)

[Jimmy Valentine]

"I doubt much will happen to reporters, who certainly have Constitutional protection."

What Constitutional protection?

[Sender]

It is so obvious that many in the media are gleeful to publish any "leak" that would damage the administration, then hide behind their "principles" of confidentiality.

That's OK if they are talking about rumors of an affair or alleged corruption, but when really big national security secrets are leaked, that's a crime.

Reporters know what they are doing. If they willingly publish information that they know will hurt this country and that should not be revealed, they become complicit in the crime. "The public has a right to know!", they will claim. They should be held accountable for crimes, pure and simple. There are some things that just shouldn't be printed, they know that, and it's time to plug the leaks.

[YourAdHere]

When are they gonna investigate the Weekly World News for getting the "World Will Blow Up in 2005" story wrong?