(Manning) Soldier to Face More Serious Charges in Leak

[BlueMTexpat]

17. You're right in your analysis.

Also, IMO, this is prosecutorial overkill of the type directed towards anyone the RW doesn't like.

So long as people like Republican Senators can leak classified material to the public in committee hearings - some with more real-time consequences - and high-up members of Bush II can "out" a covert operative - and as a consequence all her working assets as well - with NO consequences whatsoever, this is outrageous.

Accept Manning's plea and put him in prison for 20 years. IMO, a showing of actual harm caused - other than serious embarrassment - should be required for more than that. Prosecutorial zeal should be directed towards the REAL criminals: those who lied in the first place! And who also may deliberately have mis/over-used "Secret" classification in order to keep the public clearly out of the loop until long after the fact. From what I have seen, the leaked documents were indeed sensitive and certainly intended to be confidential, but hardly the stuff worthy of "secret" classification. See generally http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classified_information

Yes, under the law, there must be punishment. But in context of what was already known publicly and considering ALL the circumstances, this is overkill.