Posted on 05/28/2006 9:33:07 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
by Mark Finkelstein
May 28, 2006
Could there be a new sheriff on the block at Fox News Watch? Brash lefty Neal Gabler often manages to get the last word, but on last evening's show he was soundly put in his place by National Review editor Rich Lowry, substituting for Cal Thomas.
The topic was the recent press leaks that have compromised a number of highly-classified anti-terrorism programs including the secret prisons for Al-Qaeda members, the monitoring of Al-Qaeda related phone calls and the gathering of phone calling patterns.
Predictably, Gabler was highly critical of the prospect of the government going against those who, by publishing the leaks, potentially cause significant damage to our national security interests:
Gabler: "There is a political component with Bush's ratings down, intimidating the press they think is good business and whacking the press is good politics but there is also I think importantly an ideological component. This campaign against the press clearly was launched by Gonzales as another salient in the idea of executive power that is infallible and unassailable and I think that is one thing we are seeing here and Gonzales said before he retracted it, saying sometimes the First Amendment has to give way to security. And that is one of the things we're seeing and that is not just politics, that is more frightening."
Lowry: "As a matter of practice for decades there was a gentlemen's agreement you didn't go after reporters in the federal national security cases and what happened to blow up the gentlemen's agreement? One Patrick Fitzgerald blew it up. And who was cheerleading him on all along? The press."
Continued Lowry: "And this is a story about about partisan hypocrisy which comes back to bite you and it was it on the part of the press saying 'pursue the leak to the ends of the earth because it will hurt the Bush administration' and now the premises are followed to the logical conclusion and you have the press screaming."
Bingo.
Fox News Watch/NewsBusters ping to Today show list.
Gabler never misses an opportunity to bash Bush. Newswatch is not a debate show. I can't stand him.
Gabler managed to get two words in--'The Republicans' appointed him. Give me a break!!!
Neal Gabler is a non-entity.
Kneel Gobbler.
That's what I call him.
Gosh, I'm sorry I missed that! I've given up on watching "News Watch" because it's just another means for spouting liberal talking points. Kudos to Lowry, and rotten onions to Thomas, who usually allows Gabler (Gobbler?) to rant on--either unchallenged, or just mildly so.
Gabler was better off reviewing movies (with Michael Medved, oddly enough). At least there his fantasy life doesn't harm anyone.
bookmkPing ,. ... and thanks
Hah, I watched this. Lowry did a great job. There was that execrable Gabler trying to tell people that Bush is "going after" reporters because his poll numbers are low, and also because he wants absolute power. Lowry brought him back down to reality. There are laws against publishing classified information. If the laws are contrary to the 1st Amendment, challenge repeal the laws.
I wonder what Gabler thinks about Dr. Eastman of the Claremont Institute testifying before the House Intel Committee yesterday and telling them the media can be prosecuted for publishing classified information?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1639577/posts
What's a Neal Gabler anyway?
If curious, click any of the links below, or I can save you the time by telling you he's written some books about Hollywood, and as far as I can tell, the man has nothing important to add to any political discussion. All I can figure, Roger Ailes must have hired him out of pity.
http://archive.easthamptonstar.com/ehquery/980226/feat2.htm
http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=9528
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0300121/bio
I thought the "gentlemen's agreement" was that you don't aim to expose national security secrets in order to damage a war effort, especially not when the stakes are winner take all.
I had one of those surgically removed once.....
Thanks for posting this GLGB. Great takedown by Lowry. Press should have been very careful what they were wishing for.
Love it.
You're very welcome, Chuck. In the past I've been frustrated by the way Gabler was given a free pass, and it was great to see Lowry finally put him in his place.
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