The media don't leak, they report. People in the government leak.

Nobody in the Bush administration had a problem with the story (because they leaked it):

"In the six days since we first contacted the CIA and the White House, at no time did they indicate that broadcasting this report would jeopardize lives or operations on the ground. ABC News management gave them the repeated opportunity to make whatever objection they wanted to regarding our report. They chose not to."

Maybe the Republicans should open an investigation against Bush and the CIA?

Like the government objecting has carried any weight.

The "Media" would like nothing more than to have a U.S. city erupt in a mushroom cloud. Then they could "emote" about it on camera and make "heartfelt" comments about all the suffering. Mainly because they "Suck". Attention Liberal spell-checkers and grammarologists: Quotation marks were overdone intentionally to convey sarcasm.

Capt. Oblivious (heh) is correct, and note that the media is staffed by reporters, not deciders or leakers, and the reporters gave the deciders a chance to say "don't run with this", and they didn't.

I agree with Kim that there probably won't be an investigation, our freedom of the press is too valuable a right to compromise to political hacks like these Republicans.

What Captain Obvious said.

What year was the Swift program reported on, same as the terrorist phone calls, etc. Didn't that happen when we had a "rubber stamp" congress, and no oversight hearings in how many years?

by the way - since Kim likes it when I diplomatically point out errors in her posts -- here is the paragraph which Priestap omitted from the news report she quoted.

First, Kim's version:

A group of House Republicans are calling for an investigation into "the release of sensitive information" in a recent ABC News report on CIA covert activities against Iran.

In a carefully worded request, seven House GOP lawmakers led by Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., asked the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to "look into the releasing of sensitive information and its impact on the security of our nation, the performance of our government agencies, and the viability of our diplomatic relationships overseas."

Citing an ABC News story last month about a White House-authorized "non-lethal" operation against the Islamic Republic of Iran, the septet asserted, "We have an obligation to ensure the offenders are held accountable."

Following the broadcast of the report, ABC News said, "In the six days since we first contacted the CIA and the White House, at no time did they indicate that broadcasting this report would jeopardize lives or operations on the ground. ABC News management gave them the repeated opportunity to make whatever objection they wanted to regarding our report. They chose not to."

"This piece was very carefully reported, and it puts solid facts on the table concerning a crucial foreign policy challenge facing the United States and the world" ABC News said.

Today's letter from McHenry and six other lawmakers is the second call for a congressional investigation sparked by the report.

and here is the actual story, with the part Kim omitted in bold:

A group of House Republicans are calling for an investigation into "the release of sensitive information" in a recent ABC News report on CIA covert activities against Iran.

In a carefully worded request, seven House GOP lawmakers led by Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., asked the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to "look into the releasing of sensitive information and its impact on the security of our nation, the performance of our government agencies, and the viability of our diplomatic relationships overseas."

Citing an ABC News story last month about a White House-authorized "non-lethal" operation against the Islamic Republic of Iran, the septet asserted, "We have an obligation to ensure the offenders are held accountable."

However, the letter did not ask for the committee's investigation to identify ABC News' sources.

Following the broadcast of the report, ABC News said, "In the six days since we first contacted the CIA and the White House, at no time did they indicate that broadcasting this report would jeopardize lives or operations on the ground. ABC News management gave them the repeated opportunity to make whatever objection they wanted to regarding our report. They chose not to."

"This piece was very carefully reported, and it puts solid facts on the table concerning a crucial foreign policy challenge facing the United States and the world" ABC News said.

Today's letter from McHenry and six other lawmakers is the second call for a congressional investigation sparked by the report.

I think that's a very interesting portion of the report for you to have omitted, Kim. The fact that the Republicans are not in fact interested in finding out who the leakers were suggests that this is a (chilling in my view) attack on the free press by the Republicans.

This view is supported by your concluding paragraph:

The media has leaked other classified information and programs, such as the Terrorist Surveillance Program, the terrorist phone call database, and the SWIFT program, and nothing was done about those. Nothing will happen about this either.

As has been pointed by several commenters already, ABC didn't leak anything. They reported the information leaked by others, so your concluding paragraph, plus your omission of the very relevant paragraph in this report, suggest to me at least that you really are trying very hard to spin this story.

Can you explain, Kim, why you chose to leave out that particular paragraph from the portion you quoted?

It was 'non-lethal action from the U.S. intil the leak has made it real lethal for Americans. Ask those American citizens that have been arrested since the leak, and put in prison in Iran. Leaks do cause problems, sometimes deadly. Hundreds of American soldiers have died as a result of leaks (support to the terrorists) by the democrats. They are only going after ABC to get the source (democrat) that provided the information. Will Gonzales go after more of the democrat criminals that raked him over the coals for a normal business decision 'non crime'. I would, with everything available to the Justice Department.

Not that reality slows you down, Lee (having made the mistake of reading Wizbang Blue, it becomes abundantly clear), but she never said they wanted to investigate ABC. Note the headline says the "Report", not "ABC News". They will ask ABC News who told them the info.

Now, go back to your usual being wrong, Lee. I was kinda hoping that them giving you your own pigpen to dirty would make you not want to post here, but alas.
-=Mike

In simple terms --- the investigation is to find a way to make the leaks STOP. The leak has already come out and there isn't much that can be done about that. That this is happening so often is what needs to be looked at.
-=Mike

Yes...oh sure there are those who will say Republicans should have called for investigations of how Intelligence could have been so wrong on Iraq WMD's...sure there will be those who will say that Republican's should have called for investigations when Bush said it was ok to open our mail..
Sure there will be those who will say "What was the influence of Abramoff...
Ok...maybe a Republican majority saw no problems with Iraq...maybe no problems with Katrina..
...but at last...fighting from a minority...
they are taking a stand...

Anyone notice Lying Liberal Lee (ward) never addresses the main issue? LLL, if freedom of the press is ever repressed, it will be because the freepress has abused the freedom of the press. The facts surrounding Di Fi's money scandal, Jefferson maintaining his house seat, Murtha threats against another congressman. These are things that will end free press. When the media declines to publish the crimes of one particular party and concentrate on the errors of the other, that body is doing a disservice to the public which it is supposed to served. It will not long survive, out of balance.

The Blotter is a blog and it's possible that the paragraph was slipstreamed, though I have no idea if that in fact happened.

BarneyGRUBBLE:

Nobody in the Bush administration had a problem with the story (because they leaked it):

So what are you saying, that FoxNews isn't the "network of record" and pawn for the While House?

Allen:

What year was the Swift program reported on, same as the terrorist phone calls, etc. Didn't that happen when we had a "rubber stamp" congress, and no oversight hearings in how many years?

And that's makes it different how?

The media don't leak, they report. People in the government leak.

Posted by: Cpt. Obvious at June 6, 2007 06:02 PM

The media don't leak?!?! I don't know on what "alternate reality - Kool Aid planet" you may be in friend, but the media not only "leaks", but has been "pissing" on our national security constantly for years now in order to undermine the "non-existent War on Terror" and the Bush Administration! Give me a break!

Althor

Quote: "Didn't that happen when we had a 'rubber stamp' congress, and no oversight hearings in how many years?"

And what is it we have now, if not a "rubber stamping" congress, except this time they are rubber-stamping cut-and-run defeatism, "invasion of the illegal alien citzenship-snatchers" open borders amnesty, and all that is terrorist-loving and America-bashing enemy cuddling??? Oh, not to mention "highly ethical" Democratic "transparent" behavior such as that of corrupt "cold cash (in the freezer) Louisiana congressman William Jefferson, or dubious conflicts of interests by non other than Madam "Muntaz" Pelosi of "Arabian (well, if not Arabian at leat Syrian) Nights" Speaker of the House "Flying Luxury Palace" plane, and "San Francisco warf property owned by her husband" fame!

Althor

My problem isn't isn't the fact that information was leaked, or reported.....but that the report stated this...."the septet asserted, "We have an obligation to ensure the offenders are held accountable."

Offenders?? So now our covert operations are by offenders?

Wonder how big old "pucker puss" (lee lee) (RTP) (RM) LEE (as in insane) WARD's thinks his head is now that he has his own rip "roaring" site? Just can't figure how he has the "time to still post here. Hasn't changed him any because you can tell that it is his post by the 1st couple of words or the loooooooonnnnnnngggg block quotes. Same old crap as always. Always end with someone lies lies lies. Poor wittle fellow feels so left out. Of coarse there is only two words to discribe him---LIBERAL IDIOT.

I'm having a difficult time connecting the publishing of sensitive National Defense information with "freedom of the Press"......as someone has previously said "since when is the constitution a suicide pact?"

Fitz by himself has made chilling press repression a reality. His precedents make it much more difficult for journalists to protect a source. And he's your hero.

Foolish, stupid, leftists.
=====================

Althor, I think the issue is one of definition. The recipient doesn't "leak," the giver does.

The lefties will sell out this country to damage GW. Capt. Obvious, Allen, Jim and LEE LEE are part of the problem. They think only politically. Not honorably. ABC does have the right to print this story, to show pictures of Princess Diana dying. They ran the story that would damage GW but had honor to not show Diana dying. Integrity is a lost word for the dimmers.

Lee is such a sexist. Everytime Lorie of Kim past, Lee is right there to pounce, whether it is punctuation, conspiricy theories or titles on the post. Never the subject. Something isn't right with Lee and women. ww

WildWillie,
What makes you think I'm a lefty? Because I ask some honest questions, and so far no one has answered the question. Or can't you stand the questions I ask?

I happen to support Bush's war on terror, unlike the lefties. I also happen to think that the invasion of Iraq was filled with mistakes, and the Commander-in-Chief (Bush) is responsible for those mistakes. I'm not saying he personally made the mistakes, but as CIC he is responsible for them.

But WW, if that makes me a lefty, then THANK YOU! You just proved my point.

"Not that reality slows you down, Lee (having made the mistake of reading Wizbang Blue, it becomes abundantly clear), but she never said they wanted to investigate ABC.

Bullshit.

Allen, you are asking me to take you at your word for the claims you made. By the way, what has all the many oversight hearings accomplished so far? Should hearing be done all the time? I recall weekly hearing with Rice, Mueller, Rumsfield, Franks, Hadley, etc. Was I dreaming about that? What none oversight are you dreaming of? ww

Allen, Congress didn't investigate that stuff while the Repubs were in the majority because the Department of Justice is still working on those cases. Contrary to current Democratic belief, Congress doesn't have to investigate everything. So much for the honest question; where are the good ones?
============================

Kim,
Sometime back you posted an article about people owning stocks, etc. I asked you several questions then, still no answer.

Hope that answers your question.

Sorry about the run away italics in my comment above, here's another try...

Mike SC: "Not that reality slows you down, Lee (having made the mistake of reading Wizbang Blue, it becomes abundantly clear), but she never said they wanted to investigate ABC."

Bullshit.

Kim: "I'm glad the Republicans are calling for an investigation, but it won't happen. The media has leaked other classified information and programs, such as the Terrorist Surveillance Program, the terrorist phone call database, and the SWIFT program, and nothing was done about those. Nothing will happen about this either."

The media didn't leak anything, Mike. Note Kim's call for an investigation into the leaks in the same paragraph in which blames the media for the leak.

Stick to reading Wizbang, MikeSC, you probably can't understand the big words we use over at Wizbang Blue anyway...

Nitwits who are wrong often argue semantics. I see Lee's well into semantics and denying reality.

You see, investigating the leaks in the press means that the leaks are in the press, not that the press leaked.
Kim definitely mis-wrote, but the investigation's I at least am calling for are into who is leaking to the press.
You see, there are real leaks that affect national security that aren't the faux kind where somebody "leaks" a name of a "covert" agent who drives into Langley every day.

But then, you obviously don't care about national security, at least as long as a Republican can be attacked.

"Kim definitely mis-wrote, but the investigation's I at least am calling for are into who is leaking to the press. "

That makes sense - but not ethat this is different fomr what the 7 Repubcicans above - and Kim - wanted. That's why the sentence Kim left out is so pertinent.

It shows that the Republicans (and Kim) are not interested in investigating the sources of the leak - they just want to attack the press - even going as far as to smear ABC with the label of "leakers"

The media has leaked other classified information and programs, such as the Terrorist Surveillance Program, the terrorist phone call database, and the SWIFT program, and nothing was done about those. Nothing will happen about this either.

I have absolutely no problem with the sources of leaks being investigated, in fact, I think that's a good idea.

ABC may be able to fairly and correctly shield their sources, and maybe they can't, and maybe federal whistleblower statues apply here, and maybe they don't -- but the suggestion that ABC should be investigated is just 100% flat out bullshit.

"Kim definitely mis-wrote, but the investigation's I at least am calling for are into who is leaking to the press. "

That makes sense - but note that this is different from what the 7 Republicans above - and Kim - wanted. That's why the sentence Kim left out is so pertinent.

It shows that the Republicans (and Kim) are not interested in investigating the sources of the leak - they just want to attack the press - even going as far as to smear ABC with the label of "leakers"

The media has leaked other classified information and programs, such as the Terrorist Surveillance Program, the terrorist phone call database, and the SWIFT program, and nothing was done about those. Nothing will happen about this either.

I have absolutely no problem with the sources of leaks being investigated, in fact, I think that's a good idea.

ABC may be able to fairly and correctly shield their sources, and maybe they can't, and maybe federal whistleblower statues apply here, and maybe they don't -- but the suggestion that ABC should be investigated is just 100% flat out bullshit.

apologies for the double post (and the typos), - I saw the gross typos and thought I canceled the submit in time - obviously I didn't

Quote: "Althor, I think the issue is one of definition. The recipient doesn't "leak," the giver does."

Posted by: wavemaker at June 7, 2007 07:52 AM

The giver may be the "leaker", but it is the recipient - IE the NYT, ABC, and the Bush hating liberal media et al - who "piss" (not a leak but a major piss) on our national security and endanger us and our troops by making it not only public, but running wild with it, and shout it from every roof-top as if only to make sure Al Qaeda and the terrorists be sure to find out - and in the case of the NYT they'll even home-deliver the news to their caves and hideouts!

If that is not aiding and abetting the enemy and treason, I don't know what is!

Althor