While President Barack Obama continues to assure the public that he is protecting privacy and the press, his Administration continues to do precisely the opposite in court with comprehensive attacks on civil liberties. A good example is the continued abuse of two-time Pulitzer prize winner and New York Times investigative reporter and author James Risen. Risen continues to be threatened by the Justice Department with arrest because he is protecting the identity of his sources. Risen spoke this weekend and observed simply that “Obama hates the press.”
Risen spoke at a journalism conference at Colby College in Waterville where he was awarded the annual Elijah Parish Lovejoy award for journalism. The Obama Administration has continued a scorched Earth campaign against reporters and whistleblowers. Risen was targeted after he wrote about a failed CIA operation to disrupt Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Democrats who decried such actions under Bush have largely remained silent in the face of a far worse record under Obama.
Risen dismissed the army of apologists who deflect criticism of Obama in his campaign against the press: “I don’t think any of this would be happening under the Obama administration if Obama didn’t want to do it. I think Obama hates the press. I think he doesn’t like the press and he hates leaks.”
He also criticized Holder as someone selected due to his loyalty and ability to protect Obama from direct criticism, an issue that I discussed recently in a column.
Risen reflects a growing view among many reporters (that parallels a similar view among civil libertarians) of Obama. Indeed, I just had dinner with two leading reporters who have been staunch supporters of Obama but now view him in similar terms. Much like Nixon, Obama and his subordinates seem to blame the media for scandals as well as whistleblowers. They treat the problem as not the abuses of power or failed programs but the disclosure of such failings. It is more than just a Nixonian “shoot the messenger” approach. They want to kill the message itself.
Source: Central Maine
Speaking of snake oil and the constitution:
-mairbair: I think McCain helped write our Constitution, too. It was right after his service in The Revolutionary War.
Tom Nash – I think you are half right about McCain. I think he thinks he wrote the Constitution. 😉
Paul C.
Preston could have sold snake oil back to the snake he extracted it from and even then the snake would have thanked him for the bargain…
Max-1 – both Shirley Jones and Opie were great in the film.
Karen and Max=1 – I am moving my movie collection from dvd to hard drives as we type. I have some 3000 films in my collection and I like almost everything. I was just watching that great film Muriel’s Wedding today. Two dynamite actresses in superb performances.
Oh, did I mention that this change in Political landscapes in Seattle is coming from the most populous neighborhoods in the State… Change can happen when people act in mass.
Karen S
They’re called “classics” for just that reason.
Karen S
I wanted to address spying. They said, Obama will stop that.
I wanted to address torture. They said, Hillary will prosecute it.
I wanted to address endless wars. They said Obama will bring the troops home.
I discovered this last decade that “hope and change” is just lies and deceit wrapped in a PR campaign and that Democrats are really, really good at gift wrapping. Like I’ve said many a times, I stopped voting Democrat because of the need by political Parties to gift wrap their messages in B.S. PR campaigns. So I vote Green Party when I can. Socialist too. We (Seattle) got one on our city council and she is making real and meaningful “CHANGE” for citizens of Seattle and providing real “HOPE”. Living wages, alt energy and divestment from fossil fuels. Now Seattle has an opportunity to unseat a long held Democratic seat in the State House by sending a Socialist to challenge the House Speaker, Frank Chopp and his district. Bye, bye Frank… I live in his District and many people I’ve talked too are amped by this opportunity to change the tides.