Bill Press is an idiot. Indeed he is. I couldn't place the name at first, scanned the column enough to determine he's a whining liberal. Saw your post and immediately knew who it was.
Posted on 03/15/2006 6:57:22 PM PST by NotchJohnson
Fasten your seatbelts, America: George Bush is starting another war. First, the war on terror, then the war in Afghanistan, plus the war in Iraq. And now, the war on leaks.
According to the Washington Post, the Bush White House has dusted off a World War I-era law, the 1917 Espionage Act, in order to crack down on both leakers and leakees. Plans include conducting FBI investigations and polygraph tests for federal employees suspected of leaking information to the media — and hauling into court any reporters who publish stories based on classified information received through leaks from a government source.
The Bushies are launching their war on leaks, says the Post, because they’re upset at newspaper accounts of the network of secret CIA torture prisons and on Bush’s warrantless phone taps of American citizens. Bush even accused the New York Times, which first reported on the NSA spy program, of committing a “shameless act.”
The White House declaring war on journalists? How ironic! How hypocritical! How dangerous! And how Nixonian!
Yes, isn’t it ironic? Bush is now resurrecting a seldom-used 1917 law to go after journalists and their sources. Yet, not so long ago, in the NSA spying scandal, he claimed he couldn’t obey a 1978 law requiring a court order before tapping Americans’ phone calls because it was an “old law.” So old laws are OK after all, as long as Bush agrees with them.
Given Bush’s own record on leaks, isn’t it hypocritical? When somebody in the White House leaked the identity of undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame, Bush promised to fire “anybody involved.” But Karl Rove’s still on the payroll. Not only that, according to Scooter Libby, Dick Cheney gave him permission to leak classified information in order to help build the administration’s case for war in Iraq. In other words, Bush and Cheney want to continue leaking with impunity themselves, while cracking down on others who leak or report on leaks. Hypocrites!
And isn’t it dangerous when the White House tries to silence the free press — our only watchdog, now that Republicans control all three branches of government and both houses of Congress? The public has a right to know when government does something wrong. But we’ll never know without a free, independent and hard-hitting press.
Bush and Cheney are just ticked because they got caught breaking the law. Media reports about secret prisons are not “shameless acts.” Maintaining a secret network of torture prisons is a shameless act. Stories about NSA spying are not shameless acts. Spying on Americans without a court order is a shameless act. Government watchdogs who leaked information about those illegal activities don’t deserve time in prison. They deserve a Medal of Honor.
Going after leakers is also, of course, so Nixonian. Not since Nixon have we seen a president so obsessed with leaks. But Bush is even worse. Nixon set up “the plumbers” to combat leaks. He also ordered the FBI to tap the phones of four reporters and 13 staff members. But Nixon only planned to fire suspected leakers. Bush wants to use the Espionage Act to throw them in jail.
In the end, Bush’s war on leaks is not only ironic, hypocritical, dangerous and Nixonian. It will also prove to be absolutely futile. The Executive Branch has been replete with leaks since its earliest days. In the Washington administration, Hamilton leaked negative rumors about Jefferson; Jefferson, in turn, leaked bad stuff on Hamilton. FDR was a notorious, and indiscriminate, leaker. President Eisenhower leaked the fact that he was considering using nuclear weapons against North Korea to James Reston of the New York Times. President Kennedy leaked the nomination of Dean Rusk as Secretary of State before he even offered Rusk the job.
Every president enjoys “good” leaks: information he wants in the media. But every president also complains about “bad” leaks: information he’d rather keep secret. That’s the way it is in Washington. Leaks go with the territory. A president could no sooner stop leaks than stop the cherry blossoms from opening up every spring.
The way to deal with negative press is not to try to shut down leaks. It’s simply to stop torturing prisoners, stop spying on Americans, and stop doing things he’s ashamed to read about in the newspaper.
Sorry about not having a barf alert.
Bill Press is an idiot.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
I've got news for Mr. Press. It's all part of the same war -- the greater War on Terror.
Bill Press is a lower life form who usually has his mouth attached to a Clinton butt.
Did you say Bill Piss is an idiot?
I think he is gone from tv, so he can say whatever now.
I find it difficult to take seriesly any reporter who refers to the President of the United States as the "bushies".
Bill Press is an idiot. Indeed he is. I couldn't place the name at first, scanned the column enough to determine he's a whining liberal. Saw your post and immediately knew who it was.
Bill Press is a foot soldier for the enemy.
Too many errors in his piece to even bother a critique.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
No doubt he is an idiot, but I hope what he says about Bush putting a stop to the leaks is true. Nothing would please me more than seeing those who would endanger our troops punished to the greatest legal degree.
So then if the White House carries through with this,Jay Rockefeller is pretty much screwed.
Your statement is worth repeating...
Bill Press IS an idiot!
Mnay years ago, 20?, Bill Press was a TV commentator for KABC in Los Angeles. Then he ran for US Senate and lost. Then he became the Dem leader in CA. He is a socialist and a practitioner of media bias.
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