Steve
10-08-2004, 07:09 AM
Remember Valerie Plame? High-level leaks from within the government of classified information? I'm surprised the government's investigation into those leaks still continues (http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/10/07/miller.contempt/index.html). Perhaps someone is serious these days about stopping this sort of criminal activity. It's past time, if you ask me.
A reporter's First Amendment rights should not be used to cover for patently illegal activity, particularly that which has the potential to cost lives. Whether or not Plame's cover was an open secret is a side issue. The real issue of holding people accountable for breaking the law in such a fashion is the one the government's addressing.
This particular leak of information was far different from a whistle-blower leak or even one done out of good conscience to expose government wrongdoing; it was done for....well, I think it was done for purely partisan political gain. Not good enough to break the law...
A reporter's First Amendment rights should not be used to cover for patently illegal activity, particularly that which has the potential to cost lives. Whether or not Plame's cover was an open secret is a side issue. The real issue of holding people accountable for breaking the law in such a fashion is the one the government's addressing.
This particular leak of information was far different from a whistle-blower leak or even one done out of good conscience to expose government wrongdoing; it was done for....well, I think it was done for purely partisan political gain. Not good enough to break the law...