Gonzales: Prosecuting journalists an option

In a genuine Big Brother moment, the White House has decided to have Alberto Gonzales deliver a none too subtle threat to America's press.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Sunday he believes journalists can be prosecuted for publishing classified information, citing an obligation to national security.

The nation's top law enforcer also said the government will not hesitate to track telephone calls made by reporters as part of a criminal leak investigation, but officials would not do so routinely and randomly.

"There are some statutes on the book which, if you read the language carefully, would seem to indicate that that is a possibility," Gonzales said, referring to prosecutions. "We have an obligation to enforce those laws. We have an obligation to ensure that our national security is protected."

It'll be interesting to see how the public reacts to this at a time when speculation is rife that Karl Rove will be the next White House staffer indicted for leaking classified national security information to the press in order to squelch a critic.