Whoa.

To expand on Shakes' earlier post, Melanie Morgan is fucking nuts. Greg Sargent of The American Prospect got in a little email "discussion" with her over the New York Times brouhaha. First, she had this to say, regarding Bill Keller:

"If he were to be tried and convicted of treason, yes, I would have no problem with him being sent to the gas chamber."

Then, it got worse.

After emailing her for confirmation of the quote -- which she granted -- I sent her this extended description of the horrors of dying in a gas chamber, and asked the following: "Given that definition of the gas chamber, Is it really true that you'd countenance the above-described lengthy and excrutiatingly painful death for Bill Keller for printing that story?"

Here's the emailed reply from Morgan, in full knowledge that it was on the record:

Let me answer your question with a question. If, by leaking classified information that resulted in the deaths of American soldiers -- let's just say that a terrorist purchased all the ingredients necessary for an IED and detonated against a convoy of 18, 19 and 20- something Marines, killing them -- do you honestly think I would give a rat's rear-end how the editor who leaked that information dies? Do you think I actually CARE if he or she goes slowly, banging away on the prison bars or is extinguished immediately? The answer is NO. I DO NOT CARE.

However, the best solution that I can think of to deal with any newspaper editor, whether it's from the NY Times, LAT, WaPo, or the Wall Street Journal who is responsible for leaking national security classified information, is to be locked in a steel cage with the family members of slain troop members who would happily deliver the ultimate punishment of death. And then sent to the hottest corner of hell. (Emphasis added.)

Ho...lee... shit. These people are completely insane. She's not just regurgitating Republican talking points, she's turned into Grendel's mother.

And again, I feel it has to be said... "leaking" information that the President himself has been announcing to the media since 9/11 is treason worthy of a horrible execution... but sending soldiers to die over a lie is just fine?

I'm living in a cuckoo clock.

(Jaw-dropped cross-post.)