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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (22724)	7/3/2006 8:05:57 AM
From: Dale Baker	Respond to of 541556

The program was known to anyone who cared to look including most if not all of those it would be aimed at, but had not become a subject of broad public awareness. The authorization and oversight dimensions (which parallel other Bush programs) make it front-page political news during this administration. Another example: The respective military records of Bush and Kerry weren't front-page news in 2004 until they became a source of political controversy.

To: Lane3 who wrote (22724)	7/3/2006 10:02:25 AM
From: JohnM	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 541556

The biggest problem with the position of the Times that I can see is their argument that the story didn't reveal anything not already known in contrast with making it their lead story. Either it's news or it's not news--can't be both. My own take on that issue is that it's a different audiences argument. When Keller argues that it was already known, he is generally talking about among select government officials, banking officials, etc. and that various somewhat obfuscating statements about it had been publicized in the guise of "we are doing everything." That's hardly a secret program. The Times piece forces the admin to live up to its "look but don't look too long or carefully" stance. I thought the strongest potential argument against revealing it was not the one bandied about here, the present danger argument, but the one that international bankers won't keep doing it if it becomes so public. I thought Keller dealt with that nicely. And he's been proved right. Best I can tell.