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.

[Kaslin]

ABC should name the "unnamed senior federal official." Otherwise this story is just a lot of smoke and mirrors from a couple of major whiners.

I agree that their should name the "unnamed senior federal official", but do you really expect them to?

[BlueStateDepression]

We're finally dealing with the enemy within!!

W said "...a war on many fronts..." I sure hope that Mr.Tony Snow can help open up this front successfully!

[frogjerk]

MILLER to BIN LADEN: "We can't keep meeting like this...someone is going to suspect something..."

[3AngelaD]

Yeah, the media can be as unscrupulous, traitorous and underhanded as it likes, but the government has to walk some kind of media-defined straight and narrow in dealing with them? I don't think so. I hope they nail them once and for all for providing aid and comfort to the enemy.

[RexBeach]

Nope, naming so-called "unnamed sources" would spoil all of their fun.

[frogjerk]

RATHER to SADDAM: "Are you sure you changed your cell number?"

[Steve_Seattle]

Well, the NYT and other news agencies demand that the government release information - memos, emails, phone messages, etc. - that THEY are interested in, so why can't the government investigate things as well? Why does the news media arrogantly assume that it has rights and priviliges that the government itself doesn't have?

[Dustbunny]

ABC Claims Government Traced Its Reporters' Calls

GOOD !!!!!!

[thinking]

Good news...I am happy to see someone on the ball

[frogjerk]

ARAFAT to LIB MEDIA: "Make sure you get my new cell number..."

[Toddsterpatriot]

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.

So, pulling out all the stops to investigate leak of unclassified, widely known, silly info (Valerie Plame) is okay. Looking into leaks of important, national security threatening leaks, OHMYGOD!!!! You can't do that!

[Captain Kirk]

How free republic has changed. Back in the Clinton days everyone would have been filled with righteous anger about this. On the bright side, when Hilary becomes president, everyone here will turn on a dime and suddenly become skeptics of big government again. The problem is that it will be too late and they will have no credibility.

[Enterprise]

I'm just positive that ABC was in the forefront in opposition to the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act when Clinton signed it. And soon, they will produce reams of columns and articles, and thousands of hours of broadcasts showing how strongly they opposed and resisted it. Take it away ABC, you're in the spotlight now. Show us how heroically you stood up to Clinton in your fight for "privacy" rights.

[Pox]

when Hilary becomes president

Again with the hand-wringing over Hitlery's eventual ascension and the inevitable repercussions.

It all comes down to the government abusing its given powers, and that can happen regardless of who is the POTUS.

What they are doing now is not abuse of their powers as far as I understand it. If Hitlery were doing the same right now I would still be happy that the traitors were being tracked, although I wouldn't be so quick to actually give her credit for the idea. :)

[demkicker]

By making these leaks public, I'm disgusted that the press has managed to completely destroy our ability to trace terrorist calls anymore. No one seems to be harping on that fact, and I'm disappointed that the GOP doesn't have talking points to place this treasonous blame where it belongs, on the drive-by liberal media!

[ClancyJ]

Now we see the real reason for the uproar over the call records being given to the NSA.

All of the media is scared they will be found out as they mine the field of leaks, terrorist contacts, etc.

And they need to be found out. They are endangering America with their mindless leak mining.

[ishabibble]

"unnamed senior federal official"

This could be PieEyed Pitt, or the truly pathetic Jason of "writes his own book reviews" infamy, or could it be a PJ Comix himself, setting out to prove what he's been saying all along...They are all demented liars, and they control the media?

Whoever it is deserves a medal for rattling the cages of those two pantywaste cases. Maybe ABC can borrow CBS's big black eye!

[TYVets]

ABC Claims Government Traced Its Reporters' Calls

GOOD !!!!!!

Glad to hear that, I will sleep better tonight.

[ClancyJ]

Why should the media/reporters/news services be free from the laws covering "leaking of classified information"?

If they are free of coverage by these laws, of course, every spy, every terrorist agent will become a news reporter or work for the media so that they can freely contact any they choose, handle information as they choose.

Duh, we all should be under the same laws about handling classified information - or the term "classified" means nothing.

[BlueStateDepression]

Demkicker, the only hope I hold onto is that this is another case of allowing them to run out enough rope.....

I think it is possible that the Bush administration has taken the position of just letting the MSM run as long as far as they want to and let the American people ( and the people of the world) see for themsevles what is going on.

It is proper to say that not all people will see them for what they are and see what they are doing for what it is but many folks will IMHO.

With the internet, politicians and the media alike are finding out that they cannot run from what they do or say as they have in the past. Maybe we are actually on the brink of some serious change where the media gets back to the goal of reporting truth and keeping secret those stories that harm our nation. You know what I mean? Where the media will actually be FOR this nation instead of against it!