SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Politics : I Will Continue to Continue, to Pretend....
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  
To: Sully- who wrote (16708)1/3/2006 3:40:07 PM
From: Sully-   of 35834
 
The Predictable Distinction Between Us and Them

Power Line

ABC's Note reports on NY Times reporter Jim Risen's appearance on the Today show: 
    On NBC's "Today" show this morning, New York Times scribe 
    Jim Risen told Katie Couric that he hopes he will not 
    have to reveal his sources to a grand jury and declared 
    his story to be the exact opposite of the Plame case. 
    Risen claims his sources revealed information for the 
    best possible reasons and he went on to declare those 
    sources "patriots."
This was highly predictable, of course, but the important thing is that the Plame question is being asked. The force of the Plame precedent is irresistible.

There is a sense in which Risen is correct in saying that the leakers in the two cases are exact opposites: Scooter Libby is a Republican, and the anti-Bush bureaucrats who leaked classified national security information to Risen and his colleagues are, in all likelihood, Democrats. But Risen's suggestion that his leakers, unlike Scooter Libby, are "patriots," is risible. As we've said before, nearly all leakers believe that their motives are pure. The Plame leakers were motivated by their admirable desire to counter lies that were being told by administration critics, especially Joe Wilson.

One possibly legitimate distinction between the two groups is that the Plame leakers may not have known that there was anything secret about Valerie Plame's CIA employment--prosecutor Fitzgerald apparently concluded that she was not a covert agent--while there is no doubt that the NSA leakers were well aware that they were compromising highly classified intelligence operations.

In any event, under the governing law, the leakers' motivations are irrelevant. They committed a crime, and should be prosecuted and jailed.

UPDATE: Michelle Malkin has more:
    I guess we'll see if and how long Risen is willing to 
    stay in jail for his patriotic illegal leakers.

powerlineblog.com

abcnews.go.com

michellemalkin.com
Report TOU ViolationShare This Post
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  

HomeMailHotSubjectMarksPeopleMarksKeepersSettings
Terms Of UseContact UsCopyright/IP PolicyPrivacy PolicyAbout UsFAQAdvertise on SI
© 2025 Knight Sac Media.  Data provided by Twelve Data, Alpha Vantage, and CityFALCON News