Because Russert is a sleazeball... Now I must defend Bob Novak.

[Bucky]

Like most people here I dislike Robert Novak. I don't call him a whore, but only because I find it rude to insult working ladies. But one thing that Novak, traitor that he is, is right about is that the First Amendment means he shouldn't have to reveal his sources ever.

Even in a bad cause, the principles of the free press are more important than even the war we're fighting. All reporters, all patriots really, should stand up for our constitutional rights even when the strong arm of the law is brought against a reporter to force them to betray confidences.

Courts have held that reporters do not get the same exemption from betraying confidential sources the way spouses, doctors, and clergy do. That's why you will occasionally hear about reporters going to jail to protect the people who help them get important information out to the public. So here's where Tim Russet comes in...

Court Holds Reporter in Contempt in Leak Case
Time Magazine's Cooper Threatened with Jail for Not Revealing Source

By Carol D. Leonnig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 9, 2004

Newly released court orders show U.S. District Court Chief Judge Thomas F. Hogan two weeks ago ordered Matt Cooper of Time magazine and Tim Russert of NBC to appear before a grand jury and tell whether they knew that White House sources provided the identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame to the media.

Cooper still refused to answer questions after Hogan's July 20 order, and on Aug. 6 Hogan held him in contempt of court and ordered that he go to jail. Cooper has been released on bond pending his emergency appeal to a federal appeals court. Hogan has ordered that Time pay a $1,000 fine for each day Cooper does not appear before the grand jury.

Sources close to the investigation said they believe Russert was not held in contempt Aug. 6 because he agreed to answer the questions after Hogan's July 20 ruling.

HUH?! Russert sees that another reporter is refusing to just betray confidential administration sources and so he just rolls his big fat OVERPAID ass right over and squeals like a stuck pig.

Again (although I shouldn't have to say this), I'm no fan of the traitors who outed Valerie Plame and weakened our fights against terrorists and weapons proliferation. They should be caught and punished. But they should NOT be caught by going thru the reporters they talked to.

The Constitution is more important than just one little war that'll be a trivia question thirty years from now. Am accountable government requires that reporters keep the trust of government leakers... it's a critical part of our governing process in an open democracy. When you allow people to get prosecuted for talking to reporters, you threaten the concept of open, transparent government.

Russert has no journalistic ethics at all. To save his ass from a well deserved butt plunging from a dude name Bruno, he sold out the First Amendment. Please do not sully the reputation of prostitutes by comparing him to them anymore.