ABC Claims Government Traced Its Reporters' Calls

New York Sun ^ | May 16,2006 | JOSH GERSTEIN

[Kaslin]

ABC News claimed yesterday that phone calls made by its reporters and journalists at the New York Times and Washington Post are being traced by the federal government as part of an investigation into leaks of classified information.

In a blog posting, the network said two of its reporters, Richard Esposito and Brian Ross, were told by an unnamed senior federal official that the government had obtained records of calls placed by the two men. The network said the probe may be focused on leaks about a CIA program to detain terrorism suspects at secret locations outside America, but could also involve the network's reports on the spy agency's use of missile-firing Predator drones in Pakistan.

[cwb]

"I would argue that the threat today is far less convincing or imminent than those you mention."

---

And that's why we (me...and many more Americans) disagree with you over this issue. The enemy we face today has the potential to inflict much more harm than you are apparently aware of. And unlike you, I would prefer to suffer some minor inconveniences now in an attempt to stop the next attack...rather than suffer more, after the next attack. You don't know how bad, bad can potentially get.

[George W. Bush]

a BOGUS Jefferson quote

The saying has always been attributed to Jefferson. There is a similar one that some claim was made by Lincoln but it seems inauthentic to my eyes. Perhaps you'd like this one better.

"Contemplate the mangled bodies of your countrymen, and then say, 'What should be the reward of such sacrifices?' ... If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen!" --Samuel Adams

Wise men, those Founders.

[George W. Bush]

You don't know how bad, bad can potentially get.

It depends on your definition of 'bad', I guess. We undoubtedly hold different opinions on the matter.

[prairiebreeze]

An "unnamed senior federal official", huh? We simply must get the WH janitorial staff to stop talking to ABC!

[Sam Hill]

Are you a parrot?

The quote is thought by Jefferson scholars to be a paraphrase of Franklin's.

But in any case all of your prattling about the Founders is entirely pointless.

If these reporters were breaking the law, they should be investigated by all legal means, including "wiretaps" if necessary.

If found guilty of being a party to the leaking of classified information vital to our national defense in a time of war, the Founders of whom you speak so ignorantly would have hanged them.

Lincoln would have too.

[George W. Bush]

If found guilty of being a party to the leaking of classified information vital to our national defense in a time of war, the Founders of whom you speak so ignorantly would have hanged them.

And what, precisely, is the information they were supposed to have leaked? Is that a secret too?

Or is sour apples over who forced them to reveal that they themselves leaked spontaneously declassified info about Plamegate?

What exactly is this national security threat so dire you are willing to abridge freedom of the (egg-sucking) press?

[Mad Dawg]

You get it.

Could I ask you to say this to my wife and daughter? Nah, they'd never believe you.

Seriously, thak you for those kind words. I believe them to be sincere and I sho' 'nuff hope they are true.

Now if I could only get what to DO about it.

[Sam Hill]

If you spent as much time following current events as you do posting bogus quotes (even the Franklin quote is highly suspect), you might be aware of the background of this story:

ABC News: Justice Dept. Probing Domestic Spying Leak
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1456114

It has nothing to do with Plamegate and everything to do with national security.

[Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit]

THEIR calls need tracing. I, for one, can never tell whose side they are on...the huggy, lovey terrorists or the horrible, racist Americans. ;)

President Hillary Clinton couldn't agree more. Of course in her case she is talking about Jim Robinson. Or you.

[George W. Bush]

It has nothing to do with Plamegate and everything to do with national security.

Trust me, you'd be better off with Plamegate.

[Sam Hill]

Let's see, you palm off two bogus quotes. You don't even know what this story is about. And you say I should trust you?

LOL

[George W. Bush]

Dear Osama,

I am writing you this letter because ABC News said the NSA was tapping our phone calls. Oh, my! I would have never guessed it.

Awaiting further orders, Your Unholiness,

(signed)The willing slave of Allah and you,
Achmed

Yeah, it is convincing after all. Like I said, you'd be better off with Plamegate.

[Sam Hill]

I'm glad to see that you are in a position to decern what is and what isn't worthy of being classified as a national secret.

Too bad your scholarship re the Founding Fathers, their thoughts and quotes aren't up to the same level.

LOL

[George W. Bush]

Find me an article disproving these quotes that have traditionally been attributed to them. I've looked before and no one ever disproves them and they have long standing attribution to those same persons. So exactly why should we doubt them? The sentiments are entirely consistent with their political temperaments and the times in which they lived.

I suppose you think that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were all falsely quoted in the Bible as well.

[heights]

For years the big networks having been supposedly making television shows that never make a profit. Its about time the I.R.S looked into this.

[Sam Hill]

God you are tiresome (and clearly pretty slow). There is thing marvelous thing called Google:

Jefferson Library: A Guide to Thomas Jefferson Quotations

In other cases, quotes are often attributed to Jefferson but were actually said by others:

* "Those who sacrifice freedom for safety deserve neither." (Benjamin Franklin)

http://www.monticello.org/library/reference/quotes.html

Benjamin Franklin and the other Founders were principled, not stupid or suicidal

"He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither" — and misattributing them to Benjamin Franklin.

Mr. Franklin would be aghast to be misquoted and misused.

"Those who would give up ESSENTIAL LIBERTY to purchase a little TEMPORARY SAFETY, deserve neither LIBERTY nor SAFETY" is a motto on the title page of An Historical Review of the Constitution and Government of Pennsylvania. (1759).

This motto was attributed to Mr. Franklin in the edition of 1812.

In a letter of September 27, 1760 to David Hume, however, Mr. Franklin stated that he published this book and denied that he wrote it, other than a few remarks that were credited to the Pennsylvania Assembly, in which he served.

The phrase itself was first used in a letter from the Pennsylvania Assembly dated November 11, 1755 to the Governor of Pennsylvania.

http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/gaynor/060121

[tcrlaf]

***The network said the probe may be focused on leaks about a CIA program***

EARTH TO LIBERALS:
They get the phone calls on CSI all the time while investigating crimes........

Leaking SECRETS is a CRIME......

[George W. Bush]

So what exactly is your point, quibbling over historical attributions aside? Give up liberty because Osama is hiding in the closet, talking to ABC on the phone?

Freedom of the press is, like freedom of speech, a precious thing. There are no threats imminent enough to sacrifice our birthrights for. The question is as much about intimidation of the press, the chilling of investigative reporting as it is of anything else.

[Sam Hill]

Go waste someone else's time.

[George W. Bush]

Looks like I kept you busy Googling your afternoon away for some pointless attribution research of common quotes.

If only I were smart enough to quiver in fear every moment of my life because Osama and Saddam were about to swoop down on me, living is such terror as to surrender every right this country has ever fought for.

But the world is too nice for that nonsense. And I will not surrender my consitutional rights or stand by while freedom of the press is destroyed.