Not that I'm a real big fan of AP or the MSM, but I still believe in the First Amendment: The President and CEO of the Associated Press told CBS News that the Justice Department’s seizure of phone records was “unconstitutional” and has hurt the agency’s ability to report on the news. It’s not that the government doesn’t have the right to seize phone records, Gary Pruitt said, but the methodology was “so sweeping, so secretively, so abusively and harassingly overbroad" that it violated the Constitution. While investigating the source of a leak that led to a story about a failed terror plot in Yemen, the Justice Department "issued a secret subpoena for the phone toll records for 21 AP phone lines and these were phones lines for reporters, direct lines, cell phones, home phones but also the office numbers," Pruitt said. The Justice Department is required to make its request as narrowly as possible. Plus, it should have informed the AP first, although it claimed an exception to that rule saying it would threaten the investigation. “But they have not explained why it would and we can't understand why it would." Now AP reporters are having trouble getting sources to talk. "Officials that would normally talk to us, and people we talk to in the normal course of news gathering, are already saying they're a little reluctant to talk to us,” Pruitt said. “They fear that they will be monitored by the government." http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slat...lls_phone_records_probe_unconstitutional.html
On the one hand, we're happy with Bradley Manning being locked away. On the other, we're bemoaning the downfall of the freedom of the press. Which is it we value more? Secrecy or freedom?
Huh? How is Manning even brought up in this conversation? He voluntarily took an oath and also signed a statement that he would not disclose information that he would gain access to while he served. He was compensated for his service but he did not hold up his end of the contract. get over it
What the hell are you talking about? No one is allowed to leak classified information.....it's against regulation. You watch too much TV. He wasn't some innocent civilian walking down the street who stumbled on some cables and wanted to get the "truth" out to a bunch of yermoms. He volunteered to serve in the Army and do it in a occupation that handles sensitive data. Part of that is to be trained to properly handle the data and follow all regulations in safeguarding it. He used the Army's trust to gain access to the SIPRnet in order to release information that he knew he did not have the authority to release. He was a Soldier and falls under a different set of rules than some civilian reporter.
he uncovered information that was on the atrocity level that otherwise wouldn't have been public like this: http://news.antiwar.com/2011/08/29/cables-reveal-2006-summary-execution-of-civilian-family-in-iraq/ actually, he probably did them a favor with releasing so much since it flooded everything and that became the story, instead of individual things
That cable revealed a letter TO the state department from someone claiming that those events occurred. Big deal. He still didn't have the authority to release it. Which is why his *** is in jail. Get over it.
A person shouldnt have to use a burner to feel safe from an intrusive government, Yet arnt you in favor of Gun control? Manning swore THIS oath along with Millions of others. He broke it Nuff said Oath of Enlistment. "I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." (Title 10, US Code; Act of 5 May 1960 replacing the wording first adopted in 1789, with amendment effective 5 October 1962).
Leaking information is always against regulation or policy or whatever. In the military, the problem was that things which were classified really shouldn't have been. For example, why should the video of the helicopter attack where the journalist was killed have been classified? How did that protect national security?
Just imagine how much better the military would operate if PFCs could do whatever the **** they wanted!
So because Bradley Manning got in trouble for leaking military info, no one should be upset that Obama is quashing the press and the constitution? There's some kindergarten logic for you.
Ok so matlock by your logic. Say your secretary decided on her own that what was said an done between you an a client dint really need to be confidential, and sent the info to anyone who wanted to look at it. She should not be punished . Right? Boy you are gonna grow up hard some day.
She'd be fired immediately. But I don't really see the difference between Manning and the high level leaks occurring regarding the IRS scandal or Benghazi or whatnot. The only difference is that one kind of leak is politically expedient for the folks in charge and the other's not.