America 2.0

Gonzo Law:

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.

Perhaps I’d have a modicum of sympathy for this position (but likely not) if there had been any incident where a news story had clearly and demonstrably undermined our national security. The closest the administration has come to that is suggesting that revelation of the NSA spy program tipped off “the terrorists” to the possibility that their phones might be tapped. Now, as when they first starting floating that ludicrous assertion, I remain firmly convinced that most terrorists are wise enough to consider the possibility that they will be tracked using every possible means made available by modern technology. There is, however, plenty of evidence to suggest that the administration is doing lots of things to which many Americans would object if the media reported on them. So color me suspicious that “national security” is the reason for this maneuver, as opposed to “job security.”