I previously discussed the slew of recent conservatives who has “had a change of heart” on equal rights of gays and lesbians after a family member who out as homosexual. Like some conservative women who reject most privacy principles except abortion rights, it is hard to celebrate belated endorsements of civil liberties which happen to benefit these politicians or their families. I had the same reaction to some journalists who gave only passing attention to President Obama’s various attacks on civil liberties over the last four years. However, now that his Administration has turned on journalists, we are seeing editorials like today’s New York Times column stating “the Obama administration has moved beyond protecting government secrets to threatening fundamental freedoms of the press to gather news.”
This sense of outrage is justified. The investigation of AP and Fox reporters is one of the greatest attacks on a free press in modern history. However, for civil libertarians, it would have been more fulfilling to see this type of outrage over torture, warrantless surveillance, kill lists and the rest. It should not take a fire on your roof, to become concerned about arson.
The same can be said of Democratic members of Congress who have been mumbling expressions of concern after years to staring at their feet amid criticism of Obama by civil libertarians. One can only imagine their response if George Bush had taken these abusive steps.
Of course, civil libertarians are used to having transient friends. If only everyone’s interests could threatened at the same time . . . then we might actually have the votes to protect all of our constitutional rights.
Source: NY Times
@Randyjet:
What laws has Obama broken?: (1) Going to War in Libya without authorization from Congress was a violation of the War Powers Act, (2) Failure to prosecute those responsible for torture is a violation of our obligations under the Geneva Convention which has the force of law since it’s a treaty we signed, (3) Illegal surveillance of the citizenry without probable cause is a violation of the fourth amendment, (4) Indefinite Detention without trial is a violation of the 4th amendment, (5) Obama’s top officials claimed(in front of Congress) that they didn’t need authorization from Congress to attack Libya, (6) Torturing Bradley Manning, (7) Killing Americans(including a 16yr old boy) overseas without due process, (8) Engaging in cyber warfare(Stuxnet) with Iran, (9) Failing to prosecute crimes by the financial elite…I could go on and on.
As far as the behaviour of this administration towards whistleblowers, the press and anyone who would dare to challenge the Establishment, you have to have your head buried quite deep to not see what’s wrong. The power of the executive to target and harass it’s enemies is truly frightening. The shadow that has descended upon our nation foretells some very rough times ahead.
@RandyJet:
Jonathan did not say the investigation of the AP is “the worst violation of civil liberties in modern times.” He said it is “one of the greatest attacks on a free press in modern history.”
That’s quite a bit different.
Well since I do know US history quite well, I can think of a LOT WORSE attacks in modern history. Now we might quibble about modern, but at least I can cite COINTELPRO as being a LOT worse. Of course, Pres. Wilson and the US did a LOT worse in WWI too. Obama is a piker compared to them. The so called attacks are not much either since nobody is in prison, nor will any person contest the idea that clasified material is entitled to protection. Just before WWII, the Chicago Tribune published the US war plans that were clasified and leaked by an officer who hated FDR. The only reason they were not prosecuted was that it was done the day before Pearl Harbor. Then the Trib published the fact that the US had broken the japanese codes during the war. The reason that they were not sent to prison was that the US hoped the Japanese did not read the Tribune and any trial would bring attention to the article. There are indeed legitimate secrets and the government has to be able to prosecute violations of them.
Not everything is supposed to be open and cannot be.
know => knock
The recent disclosure about the AP journalists being targeted is just one instance that has been disclosed. There are other journalists that have been targeted (surveilled) but never been made public. As stated by others, what is happening is legal, but imo, unconstitutional. Who is going to challenge this in court? Will the Supreme 9 know down any part of the PATRIOT Act or the NDAA? It needs to be made illegal at the least.
Hitler was a corporal… Imprisoned for his beliefs….right or wrong…. He took those beliefs to the press and once he controlled the country he controlled the press….. Obama needs to take a look at Hitlers play book and nixons….. Though they have things in common….. It could be the end for him as the press takes a few shots at him….. Words have slain many a fool….
Obama Administration’s Media Surveillance Unleashes Wave Of Condemnation
From the link:
The Times editorial described the Obama administration as going “overboard” with its investigations into leaks and threatening press freedom. The board added:
The Times editorial was just one in a chorus of hard-hitting attacks on Obama’s media policy that have surfaced in the wake of the Justice Department investigations. Journalists were outraged by both the AP and the Rosen cases, particularly the labeling of Rosen as a possible “co-conspirator” in a leak case for the crime of trying to get a source to give up information.
The New Yorker reported on Tuesday that the investigation into Rosen was even broader than previously suspected, as the DOJ seized records from at least five different numbers used by Fox News and two different White House lines.
That followed the Associated Press’ revelation that the DOJ had secretly obtained months of phone records for at least seven individual journalists across 20 phone lines while searching for the government official responsible for leaking information about a CIA-thwarted terror plot.
Obama’s hyper-aggressive leak policy—and his administration’s potential equation of routine journalistic interaction with criminality—is nothing new. But the fury in the pages and on the websites of elite outlets about these positions certainly is.
The Times’ criticism echoed that of many other journalists and press freedom groups.
On Tuesday, the board of the Committee to Protect Journalists sent an outraged letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, in which it warned that the DOJ’s secret subpoenas for over 20 AP phone lines “represent a damaging setback for press freedom in the United States.” This came on the heels of a letter signed by over 50 media outlets which made similar arguments.
Wednesday also saw Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank lash out at Obama:
js,
lol
I agree that the attack on the Free Press is outrageous, but as suggested above, they did it within current laws. The Executive branch, no matter who is in the White House, will continue to grab power unless we repeal the Patriot Act, AUMF and actually make the FISA court accountable and not a rubber stamp.
Swarthmore,
Great clips to show the hypocrisy at work.
So, we add to the list of those who shout the loudest: Reformed smokers, reformed drunks, and reformed whores; and now, reformed journalists. Oh wait, I repeated myself…
Well said, Randyjet. I agree. And I’d add that Jonathan should put the legal professsion on notice as one of those professions that have contributed over time to the government’s corruption of and attacks on civil liberties and the rule of law. Some names: John Yoo, Alberto Gonzales, John Mitchell to name just the more obvious. No doubt the lobbyist “estate” is made up of more lawyers than any single occupation.
As to the corporate media “outrage” as they think their favored ox is being gored, there doesn’t seem to be equal outrage when it comes to being eager channels for talking points, leaked or otherwise, that promote political agendas such as the Iraq War or torture. One only has to recall Judith Miller’s PR work for the Bush Administration to suggest that the NYTimes for one is being more than a little self-serving among today’s irate “journalists.”
“we have COINTELPRO … THAT was illegal too and a FAR worse violation of our laws. Let me know when Obama gets to that level, THEN I will join you in protest. ” – randyjet
Maybe you could start working on your signs, rj.
Better yet, I have my guns loaded and ready to kill the first “Plumber” that come into my house illegally. It is legal to shoot and kill such a person in Texas. THAT is more effective than a protest sign I think.
The NY Times is often amusing, after all, they published the Pentagon Papers back in the day…so now they’re all for their free press, not so
much yours or mine. Similar for the AP, snip a line, or a photo in a cut
or random paste, and the DOJ looks tame in court – compared to AP’s
corporate legal team for your next paperwork blizzard. National Security
and a more free press has always walked a tight rope it seems. Reagan
and Bush had no problem keeping the press away from war coverage in
their various invasions (Bush 41). Fox & News Corp. hacks phones for a
lot of info in the UK, probably here also. So it appears that conservatives
have no problem locking up a reporter that won’t talk, but then moan when one of their guys gets a look at – over their shoulder. Citizen first, reporter…
second…the solution is somewhere in the future mix…if anyone has internet
that’s open to individuals in the future….
“Documenting the violent rhetoric and truly extremist calls for imprisonment against the Times is unnecessary for anyone paying even minimal attention the last few days. On every cable news show, pundits and even journalists talked openly about whether the editors and reporters of the Times were traitors deserving criminal punishment. The Weekly Standard, always a bellwether of Bush administration thinking, is now actively crusading for criminal prosecution against the Times. And dark insinuations that the Times ought to be physically attacked are no longer the exclusive province of best-selling right-wing author Ann Coulter, but — as Hume’s Ghost recently documented — are now commonly expressed sentiments among all sorts of “mainstream” Bush supporters. Bush supporters are now engaged in all-out, unlimited warfare against journalists who are hostile to the administration and who fail to adhere to the orders of the Commander-in-Chief about what to print.” From Greenwald’s article
http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.com.br/2006/06/bush-lynch-mob-against-nations-free.html A reminder from Glenn Greenwald about how conservatives cheered Bush on to investigate the press.
Chickens, meet roost. Roost, meet chickens.
When they came for the journalists, I said nothing because I was not a journalist.
Lesson learned, 4th Estate?
We’ll see.
I remember writing about Alberto Gonzales threatening NYT w/prosecution & Bill Bennett calling for imprisonment of Dana Priest: GOP cheered
@ggreenwald 4 days ago
Good to see. Hopefully the momentum will continue with more news outlets endeavoring to denounce the president and his administration for their misdeeds.
Please let us all know what laws were violated by the Obama adminstration. From what I have read, they acted within the law. If you do not like the law, you should complain and change or amend the law. Nixon actually broke all kinds of laws and famously said that he was the law. If the President says it is legal it is. While that might be correct in the fact that the President has the power of pardon and can pardon any criminal acts committed at his direction, it is not true as a matter of law.
As for the worst violation of civil liberties in modern times, that is absurd since I know of LOTS of other times that crimes were committed that were far worse. I can recall the Wilson administration putting thousands of people in prison for their political views and deporting even US citizens because of those views. Then we have COINTELPRO of which I was a victim. THAT was illegal too and a FAR worse violation of our laws. Let me know when Obama gets to that level, THEN I will join you in protest.
Reblogged this on euzicasa.
After reading this the song, Bad Boys comes to mind.
“Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when they come for you?” I guess we now know.