Trust only Big Brother
The story about government efforts to track financial transactions was reported at the end of last week by the New York Times, the LA Times, and the Wall Street Journal.
Starting over the weekend and continuing today, the administration (including Cheney, Bush and press spokesmonkey Tony Snow) and their shills have gone on the attack-- against the New York Times. We've seen it before, with the same line of reasoning. Any reporting on the administration's policies-- even the illegal stuff-- is anti-American, pro-terrorist, and dangerous. New York Congressman Peter King accused the Times' reporters, editors and publisher of violating the Espionage Act.
Questions about the program itself aside, we're once again witnessing a Republican leadership that's more than happy to dip into the fascism playbook to maintain their power. Their ultimate argument is that a free press is dangerous, and should be under the control of government. Journalists are part of a secret cabal, and to be regarded with suspicion and fear. Only the Republican party is telling you the truth.
As Ed Schultz pointed out on his show today, the administration has ignored a very significant question-- how did these three major news outlets get the information in the first place? If they're concerned about sensitive intelligence being reported in the press, they need to find out who's giving them the intel in the first place, right? Instead, they've decided to make it pure politics and attack the press in the name of hanging on to their base in the runup to elections.
UPDATE (6/27): Raw Story has collected a sample of reactions to the administration's attacks at the site Free Republic, where readers accuse the paper of promoting a "socialist-homosexual utopia," and suggest that their staff should be jailed, hanged or beheaded.
Starting over the weekend and continuing today, the administration (including Cheney, Bush and press spokesmonkey Tony Snow) and their shills have gone on the attack-- against the New York Times. We've seen it before, with the same line of reasoning. Any reporting on the administration's policies-- even the illegal stuff-- is anti-American, pro-terrorist, and dangerous. New York Congressman Peter King accused the Times' reporters, editors and publisher of violating the Espionage Act.
Questions about the program itself aside, we're once again witnessing a Republican leadership that's more than happy to dip into the fascism playbook to maintain their power. Their ultimate argument is that a free press is dangerous, and should be under the control of government. Journalists are part of a secret cabal, and to be regarded with suspicion and fear. Only the Republican party is telling you the truth.
As Ed Schultz pointed out on his show today, the administration has ignored a very significant question-- how did these three major news outlets get the information in the first place? If they're concerned about sensitive intelligence being reported in the press, they need to find out who's giving them the intel in the first place, right? Instead, they've decided to make it pure politics and attack the press in the name of hanging on to their base in the runup to elections.
UPDATE (6/27): Raw Story has collected a sample of reactions to the administration's attacks at the site Free Republic, where readers accuse the paper of promoting a "socialist-homosexual utopia," and suggest that their staff should be jailed, hanged or beheaded.
posted by Matt Sandwich | 3:15 PM
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