Monitoring of AP Phones "Terrifying" Assault on Press Freedom

[Dawn Meredith]

However, the administration is eager to strengfthen the rights of journalists to protect their sources,
as they should. Don't forget that many of these current laws are holdovers from the Bush administration
when privacy rights and sources were not necessarily protected.

Adele

Adele, does this then suggest that the national security state is ignoring the wishes of the Obama Administration and that this, in turn, indicates that there is a power struggle going on between the Pentagon, intel and law enforcement agencies on the one hand, and a not very powerful president on the other?

This seems to be further suggested by the following extract from above:

Under fire for secret subpoenas of Associated Press phone records, the Obama administration has asked a key senator to revive legislation that would enhance protections for journalists trying to protect their sources.

A White House official called Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Wednesday to ask him to reintroduce the media shield law that he supported in 2009 but that never received a vote on the Senate floor. The push comes in the wake of Department of Justice subpoenas of a broad swath of AP's phone records, including several main numbers used by more than 100 reporters.


"This kind of law would balance national security needs against the public's right to the free flow of information. At minimum, our bill would have ensured a fairer, more deliberate process in this case," Schumer said in a statement.

Or is the latter simply a deflection device to make the prez look an okay guy?

David In my opinion it's the latter. Obama will say or do anything to cover his lying ass. His admin has prosecuted more whistle blowers than all other administrations combined. What you see if not what you get. The Constitution is meaningless to this guy. If I hear one more Dem say "but he's a nice guy" I will puke.
Hitler liked dogs too.

Dawn