I recently published a column on how Barack Obama has publicly assumed many of the powers that were once cited as the basis for the investigation and attempted impeachment of Richard Nixon. One of those areas was the Obama Administration’s crackdown on journalists. This week Attorney General Eric Holder appears to have yet again added to this ignoble record. It appears that the Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records of reporters and editors for The Associated Press. This disclosure follows another recent disclosure that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) targeted conservative groups associated with the Tea Party. Yet, once again, most Democrats remain silent in a type of cult of personality where principle is discarded in favor of loyalty to the President.
The spying on reporters by the Obama Administration included outgoing calls for the work and personal phone numbers of individual reporters. The seizure covered general AP office numbers in New York, Washington and Hartford, Conn. The Justice Department showed no restraint or concern, even including the AP in the House of Representatives press gallery. It now appears that in a few years historians could well be saying the Nixon was perfectly Obamaesque in his abuses.
AP President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Pruitt has written a letter to Holder objecting to the spying, noting that “[t]here can be no possible justification for such an overbroad collection of the telephone communications of The Associated Press and its reporters.” I would be equally upset with the mere fact of the spying as opposed to its breadth.
The spying may be part of a criminal investigation into a May 7, 2012, AP story about a foiled terror plot. AP agreed to hold the story after an objection from the Administration but ultimately ran the story disclosing a CIA operation in Yemen that stopped an al-Qaida plot to detonate a bomb on an airplane bound for the United States. While working with the Administration in holding the story, the Administration apparently was moving to spy on five reporters and an editor who were involved in the story.
Holder would have to have personally approved the subpoenas under Justice Department regulations. However, it is not enough to again criticize Holder (who has assembled one of the most abusive records on civil liberties in our history). Obama is well aware of the objections by civil libertarians and personally approved such decisions as promising CIA officials that they would not be investigated for torture and the kill list policy.
What is most striking about this story is the sense of complete immunity and lack of concern shown by the Administration. That sense of impunity has developed over four years as Democrats have gone into radio silence over abuses by the Administration from Obama’s “kill list” policy to other rollbacks on civil liberties. There will come a day when this president is no longer in office and many Democrats and Liberals will be faced with the imperial presidency that he created in the hands of someone they do not revere. When that day comes, it will be hard to climb over the mountain of hypocrisy to find a principled ground for criticism.
Source: CNN
Well blouse…. Words are words until hey are put into action…. Try reading the first inaugural address…… If you don’t recall…. Jefferson was selected by the House to break the electoral college deadlock…. If I recall… It was 36 votes….. How would you have felt about Burr being president…..
“Seat grand juries instead.” (James Knauer)
I like that idea but who would appoint the Special Prosecutor?
“Partisianshit is destroying this country….. Washington and Jefferson warned against these same factions…..” (AY)
That’s funny! Washington warned against it … Jefferson did it.
Jonathan H. Adler:
Is the Seizure of the AP’s Phone Records a “Non-Story”?
Another reason I don’t believe this is a “non-story” is because seizures of this sort have potentially significant implications for newsgathering organizations. Further, insofar as the relevant guidelines vest the Justice Department with substantial discretion, how such discretion is used is a matter of significant import. I agree with Orin that it’s possible that the Justice Department acted properly here (though I suspect I’m more inclined to see this particular seizure as overbroad), but that does not mean that the threat of such seizures does not have the potential to chill investigative journalism. In my view, the federal government should, insofar as is possible, focus more on the leakers than on those who receive the leaks.
“Focus more on the leakers?” That’s easier said than done. Might as well not investigate leaks at all.
Neither the resignation of Holder nor the impeachment of Obama will solve anything. President Joe Biden will inherit the same dreadful powers granted by Congress. He will find ways to implement them.
Congress created the Patriot Act, indefinite detention, warrantless data mining and the DHS. Only Congress can yank back these powers that will doom ANY administration.
In the meantime, we’re going to get investigations now. And because there has been virtually no oversight, there is enough material there that they will continue long after Obama leaves office. “We had no idea how bad the roach problem was until we started, you know, looking for roaches.”
Let’s hope they are serious. “Congressional Subpeona” used to cause a lot of pants-wetting. No so much these days.
Seat grand juries instead.
Ou know Holder has to go….. Really…. Exactly how is catching some Nixon wanna be partisan….. That’s like shooting someone and saying they did it…..pointing fingers all around….. To bring finger pointing at some object that is not even mentioned is to try and make obtuse the whole situation…..
Obama is wrong…. Holder is either acting with direct orders or Obama is implicit in misfeasance of office….. Anyway you want to try and whitewash it…. It looks bad on everyone involved….. But let’s bring the gun debate into it….
Partisianshit is destroying this country….. Washington and Jefferson warned against these same factions…..
Thank you, blouise. 🙂
nick, I don’t worship any politician. Let’s get that clear.
SwM,
Well done. 😉
SWM, Don’t get your undies in a bunch. I’m talking about Benghazi vis a vis Clinton. And, your president said yesterday that Benghazi is a partisan witch hunt, so it must be true!! However, the fact that the to date sycophant press has turned on him regarding Benghazi seems to contradict this. Why do you think they gave Susan Rice the bums rush when a little heat was put on her nomination? These talking points spin[translation: lies] have all the earmarks of a Clinton. I am willing to wait for the facts. But, I know Hillary w/ a more objective eye than a person who worships her.
Nothing is going to happen because Congress, as a whole, supports this move just as they supported Jerry Ford back in the day when they actually had a chance to reign in the Executive and thus future abuses of the individuals who would be sitting in the Oval Office. (probably because they all imagine themselves as the capable of one day attaining that office … I mean, come on, if Ford could do it …)
On the other hand, from the media’s standpoint, this story was the perfect way to let all those folk who may have talked to the AP people during the collection period know that their names are now in the hands of law enforcement … through no fault of the AP, of course.
Since Adams’ Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 and Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the Executive and Legislative branches have conspired to find “work arounds” of the very document they were all sworn to uphold.
It’s all a game to these people who like to point fingers identifying “the enemy” when in all actuality the enemy they all hold in common is a piece of paper called The Constitution of the United States of America.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/14/justice-department-ap-phone-records-whistleblowers Justice Department’s pursuit of AP’s phone records is both extreme and dangerous.
And Romney would have been worse? How? disclaimer I voted for G. Johnson.
If Holder goes, Republicans will filibuster any AG nominee. It’s either Holder or no one.
Nick, To me the Benghazi thing is a partisan witchhunt and to my knowledge Hillary Clinton is not involved with the IRS or Justice Dept. scandals. If you can link her to those two things, please provide the info.
“When that day comes, it will be hard to climb over the mountain of hypocrisy to find a principled ground for criticism.”
Surely you jest? They will have no sense of propriety in crying about the abuses of any new president. Our principle elected parties (repos and demos) have lost all sense of decency. They have become entities unto themselves with no regard to our Constitution or making a better civil society. They both must go to be taught a lesson. And when whatever new party that comes into being has been in power for a few years, give them the boot as soon as they start abusing their power.
Wish people would quit saying “Holder needs to go.” That’s right up there with the “Emmanuel needs to go” stuff we heard when Rahm was CoS in the Obama White House. It’s time to stop giving Obama a pass by laying the blame for his admin on everyone but him. Emmanuel went and what changed? Nada. And what would change if Holder went? Nada. Remember: The Cossacks work for the Czar.
When Bernstein is quoted my boilerplate question is always, “Was he sober?” However, even drunks make sense sometimes, “En vino veritas.”
SWM, First you ask for “the facts” and then you exonerate Hillary by calling this simply a partisan attack. You can’t have it both ways. Mr. Turley spoke of a mountain of hypocrisy in this post.
Prediction: At least 250 comments on this thread.
I have to agree with the sentiment here that Holder is the locus of the problem and needs to go. Obama is saying all the rights things but the assault on freedom continues unabated. Ultimately he bears that responsibility.