Judge Upholds Media Subpoenas in CIA Leak Case

[Xipe Totec]

This is a toughie, pitting 1st Amendment on one side against figuring out who outed Plame on the other.

What side should we as Democrats support? Truthfully, I don't know.

"U.S. District Chief Judge Thomas Hogan rejected requests to quash subpoenas issued to Tim Russert of NBC's "Meet the Press" and Matthew Cooper of Time magazine on the grounds they violate the reporters' privilege under the Constitution's First Amendment.


The subpoenas were issued by special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald and seek to require Russert and Cooper to appear before a federal grand jury to testify about conversations they had with an unidentified government official.


"To be clear, this court holds that Cooper and Russert have no privilege, qualified or otherwise, excusing them from testifying before the grand jury in this matter," Hogan ruled in the 11-page opinion.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=615&e=3&u=/nm/20040809/pl_nm/bush_leak_dc

[Caution]

1. dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x738490

like your avatar though

[Wickerman]

2. It's a shame its come to this

If the Bush* WH were honest and as full of integrity as they are shit then there would be no need to compromise the medias' 1A rights. Shame on those miserable failures.

[clydefrand]

3. What about Novak? Mr. Teeth, himself!

Have they subpoenaed him? He's the dude that should go to prison as well as the one who told him.

[autorank]

4. TOO DAMN BAD

Pumpkin head and the Time droid are citizens just like everyone else. You don't have the right to participate in a criminal conspiracy to violate national security and endanger/cost lives just because you are a stenographer for the corporate media. If it were any of us and we said we wouldn't talk, we'd be charged with lying to a federal agent and nailed. These guys can sweat and squirm and then talk about a crime without hiding behind the first amendment; one they routinely ignore by failing to report the news or ask the tough questions. Hey pumpkin head, bite me!

[Xipe Totec]

5. Cut a Path Through The Law....

I grant your point that the media abuse the 1st amendment. But can we deny them the protections it affords without denying it to ourselves?

In my opinion the investigators have not done a good job of finding the leaker, DELIBERATELY, to create this no-win situation. I think an independent counsel would have already figured it out without having to mow down the 1st amendment in the process.





Roper: So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!

More: Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?

Roper: Yes, I'd cut down every law in England to do that!

More: Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat?

This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down (and you're just the man to do it!), do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then?

Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!

http://www.brothersjudd.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/reviews.detail/book_id/680

[Moderator]

6. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=738490