President Bush and his supporters are yelping at the New York Times and its disregard for keeping the administration's secrets. Last week the Times reported that the administration is examining international banking records. This week, some conservatives are calling the Times a nest of traitors.
They're not doing it in a vacuum. Bush on Monday called the disclosure of the program "disgraceful" and said it did "great harm to the United States of America."
There is, of course, no way of knowing if Bush is telling the truth here. His administration demands secrecy while insisting everything is done within the law.
The loudest voices on the far right will only get louder over the next several days, as they try to bully their talking points to a mostly bored public. They want the Times, and other media outlets, prosecuted for treason. They don't believe in a free press. Just a compliant one.
1 comment:
"Traitor" is a harsh word, but the Times is definitely applying double standards - they yelped when the Plame affair hit the fan, for instance, but now...
Question: How *are* we supposed to fight terrorism, if we can't go after their financing by looking at bank records? Do we ask them nicely to tell us what they're up to? Do we offer fluffy pillows and hot chocolate to the mullahs? (come to think of it, that might help their disposition...)
Post a Comment