Free Republic

I’ve got a big problem with newspapers who put American lives at risk by publishing our nation’s secrets. But that’s nothing compared to what I think should be done to the people -- trusted people within our government -- who leak our secrets. If I can borrow a little from by blood brother Willie Nelson, we should send ‘em all to their Maker and he’ll settle ‘em down. Government employees entrusted with our national secrets are morally, ethically, logically and legally required to keep them secret. Those employees who intentionally leak national secrets should -- no, must -- be charged...

The current Newsweek cover story by Michael Isikoff identifies one of the major sources for the New York Times article blowing the government's terrorist surveillance program. He is one Thomas Tamm. Newsweek asks: "Is he a hero or a criminal?" As I wrote over the weekend, the perspective of the photograph accompanying the article -- looking up at Tamm's craggy face -- leaves no doubt about where Newsweek stands. It's a little like Monica's accustomed perspective on Bill Clinton. In "Newsweek's hero," I argued that Tamm was quite obviously a criminal. Other bloggers have done a good job rounding out...

The high level Justice Department official who leaked FISA information to the New York Times, Thomas Tamm, is currently featured on the cover of Newsweek along with the story about his motivations for leaking the details of the top secret program to monitor communications between terrorist suspects. Newsweek attempts to portray Tamm as some sort of noble hero who was torn by his decision to violate the secrecy of the FISA program:

Report: FBI Searches Home of Attorney in Warrantless Wiretap Program Case Sunday , August 05, 2007 AP WASHINGTON — FBI agents searched the home of former Justice Department lawyer Thomas Tamm last week in an effort to determine who leaked details of the warrantless eavesdropping program to the news media, Newsweek magazine reported Sunday, citing two anonymous legal sources. The agents, who had obtained a classified search warrant, took Tamm's desktop computer, two laptops belonging to his children and some of Tamm's personal files, said Newsweek, which granted anonymity to the two sources because they did not want to be...