Demanding press' phone records is troubling, but, republican fauxrage is transparent

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. . . ODS.


tweeted by, Andrew Kaczynski ?@BuzzFeedAndrew 9h
Republicans in Congress killed a media shield law in 2008 that would have protected the Associated Press. http://www.buzzfeed.com/nycsouthpaw/gop-congressmen-killed-a-media-shield-law-that-wou-4xje …

____ House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa issued a statement slamming the administration. “This is obviously disturbing,” Issa said. “Americans should take notice that top Obama Administration officials increasingly see themselves as above the law and emboldened by the belief that they don’t have to answer to anyone. I will work with my fellow House Chairmen on an appropriate response to Obama Administration officials.”

Issa didn’t mention that he voted against a measure that would have protected the AP from the DOJ’s subpoena in 2007. Issa was one of 21 House members who opposed the Free Flow of Information Act of 2007, a measure that would have forbidden federal investigators from compelling journalists to give evidence without first obtaining a court order. The bill included a section that specifically forbid subpoenaing journalists’ phone records from “communication service providers” to the same extent that the law protected the journalists themselves.

Despite Issa’s “No” vote, the bill overwhelmingly passed the House 398-21. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, another California Republican who criticized the DOJ and the President in the wake of today’s news, voted for the bill. It was defeated, however, by a Republican filibuster in the Senate the following year.

“I would say the odds are Republicans killed media shield today,” Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy said at the time. The Senate bill garnered 52 supporting votes, including five Republicans who broke ranks with their party, but the bill’s supporters needed 60 votes to overcome the Republican filibuster.


read: http://www.buzzfeed.com/nycsouthpaw/gop-congressmen-killed-a-media-shield-law-that-wou-4xje

related:

Andrew Kaczynski ?@BuzzFeedAndrew 9h
2nd Circuit court ruled 2-1 in 2006 it was okay for government to look at journalist phone records when investigating a leak about terrorism

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1. Incredible:

TheObamaDiary.com ?@TheObamaDiary 14h

Incredible: AP risked lives by leaking info on investigation in to al Qaeda plot to detonate bomb on US-bound plane pic.twitter.com/cHj0RqEOaT

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2. Of course the AP doesn't mention that. If they were impartial, they'd put all the facts out there.

But they aren't. They got hit by a snowball and now they're crying about it.

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[font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font]
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3. have you seen the actual subpoena?

. . . I don't think AP has released it. That would clear up just what actions they took at the time that are of such interest to the Justice dept.

Worse contradiction is, republicans demanding to know where the leaks came from, then bawling like stuck pigs when the admin. makes a move to find out.