Justice Department Secretly Targeted AP Reporters

Originally Posted By ecdc

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/13/ap-phone-records-government-intrusion-unprecedented_n_3268569.html" target="_blank">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...569.html</a>

Uncool. What's worse, the Obama admin (whether Obama knew or not) may have just infuriated the one group they really don't want to infuriate: The press.

What will be interesting is if the justification for this kind of action is based in some sort of post-9/11, Patriot Act legislation.

Once you grant government's power over civil liberties, it's really, really hard to get it back.

 

Originally Posted By WilliamK99

When it rains it pours... It will be interesting to see how this story develops, the AP seems pissed right now... From what I have read this wiretap seems to be about an unnamed source the AP refused to identify.

 

Originally Posted By Dabob2

This one disturbs me way more than the IRS thing.

 

Originally Posted By ecdc

+1

IRS thing...meh. Stupid, but pretty clear it's not at the high levels of government.

Benghazi...pure partisan BS from Republicans.

This...disturbing overreach. There's also been a Fox News reporter who's being compelled to give up her source for a different matter. She was in danger of jail time. I hate Fox News. But reporters should be able to have sources and they should be able to protect those sources.

The press, for all its many flaws, for all the grief we give them (rightly, usually) for their absurdity, is vital to our democracy.

 

Originally Posted By ecdc

Here's the story about Jana Winters, Fox News reporter who is being asked to reveal her source for details about James Holmes, the Aurora theater shooter.

<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/10/opinion/in-the-jana-winter-case-a-debate-over-protecting-news-sources.html?_r=0" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04...tml?_r=0</a>

 

Originally Posted By WilliamK99

ecdc, thanks for the link...This has far reaching ramifications...I loved what you said earlier "Once you grant government's power over civil liberties, it's really, really hard to get it back." because it's so true...

 

Originally Posted By Dabob2

I remember saying something very similar, many times, to Beau whenever he would say that there was nothing wrong with the patriot act, or that if you're doing nothing wrong you have nothing to fear from the wiretaps and data mining etc. the Bush administration was instituting.

"The White House isn't always going to be run by somebody you like," I said. "And once they have this power, they're not going to want to give it up. How would you feel about it then?"

He'd always just say I supported terrorists or something.

 

Originally Posted By Mr X

Ironically, this is the insidious scandal the right wingers have been waiting for - and yet they can't take full advantage of it without smearing their own in the process.

I wonder which way they'll end up going.

Here's a hint of how serious this one really is...the left wing sites are in a tizzy over it.

 

Originally Posted By WilliamK99

I am curious to see if Holder takes the fall for this...

 

Originally Posted By ecdc

Matt Yglesias said it best: Who would've thought widespread warrantless wiretapping could lead to abuses?

 

Originally Posted By Yookeroo

"Once you grant government's power over civil liberties, it's really, really hard to get it back."

Yeah. This is one issue where both parties are pretty much the same, equally bad.

I'm kinda glad this is happening. Maybe the press will start to pay more attention to civil rights abuses.

 

Originally Posted By Dabob2

I will say this for us liberals: here and all over the 'net, we're up in arms about this.

Conservatives when Bush was instituting this framework and insisting that national security trumps all, including freedom of the press (which will almost certainly be the defense in this case)? Not so much.

 

Originally Posted By WilliamK99

I love this one size fit all stereotype posters on this board use for Conservatives. For me, I understand that the crap some people post here is their opinion and not all liberals are that idiotic.

 

Originally Posted By mawnck

>>I love this one size fit all stereotype posters on this board use for Conservatives.<<

Every non-RINO conservative I know goes out of their way to confirm the stereotype in every way they can think of. Don't blame us for that.

 

Originally Posted By ecdc

>>I love this one size fit all stereotype posters on this board use for Conservatives.<<

That's because the party, both officially and at the grassroots, has worked overtime to label anyone who doesn't fall into line a RINO. When poll after poll shows a MAJORITY of Republicans believe Obama is a socialist and was not born in this country...yeah...the stereotype fits.

 

Originally Posted By TomSawyer

Like I said before, the best thing that I can do for my kid is to make sure that she can emigrate when she's old enough.

 

Originally Posted By utahjosh

Defending negative stereotypes like this is not cool.

 

Originally Posted By ecdc

A stereotype is a caricature. We're not doing that. We're just portraying conservatives as they really are. Happy to provide examples if you like, including within Republican leadership.

 

Originally Posted By WilliamK99

Please, provide the example that every Republican believes in certain things. I have been called a Conservative on these boards so you can ask for my voting record and what charities I give to if you want via email...

 

Originally Posted By mawnck

>>Please, provide the example that every Republican believes in certain things.<<

The ones that don't are being drummed out of the party.