NationStates Jolt Archive

White House Trains Efforts on Media Leaks (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/04/AR2006030400867.html)

God forbid they actually act with some degree of transparancy. God forbid they NOT do things that violate the constitution, not to mention the law. God forbid the explain their actions to the American people without having someone blow the whistle on them first.

This is just ridiculous. Aren't these "efforts" better used in rooting out ter'rists, like say OSAMA BIN LADEN??

Why is it that more "effort" has been put into attempting to control the press than doing the job they SAY they're doing so well?

Because if they catch Osama bin Laden and win in Iraq we won't be living under the aura of fear that they require to survive.

Countdown until Karl Rove unleases his latest version of the "Swiftboat Veterans for Truth" to silence you...

3, 2, 1...

:rolleyes:

MAybe they have a surprise birthday party coming up for one of the staff and think the media leaks might spoil it?

Seriously though. Instead of doing their real jobs, they're focusing attention on blocking out the media. If they just did what they were supposed to be doing, the "leaks" wouldn't be damaging to the administration. Doing shit like this just proves that they'd rather keep fucking up, and instead of fixing the fuck up they'll just keep people from finding out about it

MAybe they have a surprise birthday party coming up for one of the staff and think the media leaks might spoil it?

You win this thread.

Seriously though. Instead of doing their real jobs, they're focusing attention on blocking out the media. If they just did what they were supposed to be doing, the "leaks" wouldn't be damaging to the administration. Doing shit like this just proves that they'd rather keep fucking up, and instead of fixing the fuck up they'll just keep people from finding out about it

On the plus side, maybe if they're so consumed with stopping media leaks then they won't have time to make the mistakes that get leaked, because they'll be too busy trying to stop leaks.

Unless the Democrats overwhelmingly take over the House and Senate, our country will be in the mud, under a Church, by 2008.

Unless the Democrats overwhelmingly take over the House and Senate, our country will be in the mud, under a Church, by 2008.

I don't think I'd want the Democrats to dominate, since they're just as bad as the Republicans. We need a split Congress to keep either party from dominating.

Mari's attention span < length of article.

If they are so worried about leaks, why haven't they pursued the people responsible for the Valerie Plame leak????

White House Trains Efforts on Media Leaks (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/04/AR2006030400867.html)

God forbid they actually act with some degree of transparancy. God forbid they NOT do things that violate the constitution, not to mention the law. God forbid the explain their actions to the American people without having someone blow the whistle on them first.

This is just ridiculous. Aren't these "efforts" better used in rooting out ter'rists, like say OSAMA BIN LADEN??

Why is it that more "effort" has been put into attempting to control the press than doing the job they SAY they're doing so well?

Some information isn't for us... classified information. What's been done to violate the constitution? Preventing terrorists from discussing their plans with domestic terrorists?

I don't think I'd want the Democrats to dominate, since they're just as bad as the Republicans. We need a split Congress to keep either party from dominating.
No, we need a foil to the overpowered White House right now.

White House Trains Efforts on Media Leaks (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/04/AR2006030400867.html)

God forbid they actually act with some degree of transparancy. God forbid they NOT do things that violate the constitution, not to mention the law. God forbid the explain their actions to the American people without having someone blow the whistle on them first.

This is just ridiculous. Aren't these "efforts" better used in rooting out ter'rists, like say OSAMA BIN LADEN??

Why is it that more "effort" has been put into attempting to control the press than doing the job they SAY they're doing so well?

So the government shouldn't crack down on classified information?

If they are so worried about leaks, why haven't they pursued the people responsible for the Valerie Plame leak????

I thought the investigation is still going on?

So the government shouldn't crack down on classified information?

How would a government "crack down on classified information"? Store it in a jail cell?

That'll teach the classified information to...exist.

I thought the investigation is still going on?
"Investigation" meaning passing the blame?

How would a government "crack down on classified information"? Store it in a jail cell?

That'll teach the classified information to...exist.

Crackdown on the release of it wiseguy. Leaking classified data is against the law. I applaud the activities of trying to crack down on said leaks.

If they are so worried about leaks, why haven't they pursued the people responsible for the Valerie Plame leak????

Unintentional leaks, not the planned ones.

"Investigation" meaning passing the blame?

How did you arrive at this conclusion?

How did you arrive at this conclusion?
uhhhh, "Karl Rove leaked the name, no wait, Scooter Libby's taking the heat, 'but my superiors (Cheney) told me to do it'."

uhhhh, "Karl Rove leaked the name, no wait, Scooter Libby's taking the heat, 'but my superiors (Cheney) told me to do it'."

If there were proof that this Karl Rove person leaked it then he would've already been charged. So I'm going to have to ask what your evidence is.

Crackdown on the release of it wiseguy. Leaking classified data is against the law.

Very true, but just because something is a law doesn't mean it's good. See, for instance, the Jim Crow laws. Similarly, several of the actions of the Government have been illegal. If they classify it, it becomes illegal to expose them, too, and if no one is legally allowed to hold them accountable for said actions, we're in a bad way ;).

The American War of Independence was also illegal, until we won.

If there were proof that this Karl Rove person leaked it then he would've already been charged. So I'm going to have to ask what your evidence is.
Wow. Were you paying attention at all when the "investigation" was going on? Someone leaked the name or ordered the leakage. We don't know who it was, because just like Bush's reasons for invading Iraq, the people who could be responsible have ranged from Karl Rove to Libby to Cheney.

Let's see...

argument from pro-"classify this!": if you're not doing anything illegal, you don't have to worry about the (il)legal activities of our government.

and

they need to do these (il)legal activities in order to clamp down on terrorists.

argument from me: if the government isn't doing anything illegal, it shouldn't have to worry about people finding out.

and

to use an analogy: a speeding camera works so much better, when people know that there are speeding cameras everywhere.
as in: admin claims to be doing lots to prevent terrorism. This isn't really seen, so terrorists don't care, go ahead and do stuff anyway. IF admin reveals what they are doing, terrorists see futility and if admin are doing a good job, that's all the terrorists will ever see.

The American War of Independence was also illegal, until we won.

"Everyone knows that rebellion is always legal in the first person. Its only in the 3rd person, their rebellion, is it illegal" <--Ben Franklin in the musical 1776 :D

Wow. Were you paying attention at all when the "investigation" was going on? Someone leaked the name or ordered the leakage. We don't know who it was, because just like Bush's reasons for invading Iraq, the people who could be responsible have ranged from Karl Rove to Libby to Cheney.

Do you always let your politics dictate what you are typing?

If there were proof that this Karl Rove person leaked it then he would've already been charged. So I'm going to have to ask what your evidence is.
It hasn't been leaked yet.

It hasn't been leaked yet.

:rolleyes:

Do you always let your politics dictate what you are typing?
What does that have to do with anything? I'm merely adding relevent comparisons.

What does that have to do with anything? I'm merely adding relevent comparisons.

Anyone one could have leaked it and tried to blame it on the administration. that's also possible.

Anyone one could have leaked it and tried to blame it on the administration. that's also possible.
And Elvis killed JFK.

Anyone one could have leaked it and tried to blame it on the administration. that's also possible.
But who and with what motive? Rove (Cheney, Libby, ect.) have the motive and the means. Come up with a better theory or come up with a better defense for the people suspected of leaking the name but don't just say any sort of shit that pops into your head and expect it to have weight.

But who and with what motive? Rove (Cheney, Libby, ect.) have the motive and the means. Come up with a better theory or come up with a better defense for the people suspected of leaking the name but don't just say any sort of shit that pops into your head and expect it to have weight.

I can't answer that as I do not know enough about politics to render an answer.

I can't answer that as I do not know enough about politics to render an answer.
Oh... well, that was unexpected....
Err... OK.

It's amazing that ANYONE could defend this. It's like defending a doctor's right to screw up an apendectomy by sewing a sponge into someone's abdomen, and bitching about the patient when they decide to sue.

What's wrong with following the rules that others have followed successfully? If you break the rules be prepared for others to find out about it, and the consequences that follow.

Shutting down the people who report you is basically saying that you think you're better than the system. That's called hubris, and it has led to terrrible things in the past.

I can't answer that as I do not know enough about politics to render an answer.
At least you admit to it. Thank you.

At least you admit to it. Thank you.

Your quite welcome. I was brought up to tell the truth.

So the government shouldn't crack down on classified information?
Not when it ITSELF defines the consequences as being flexible if it ITSELF is accountable for prosecution.

They're also on a classifying binge right now- re-classifying things which have already been declassified, published, and/or made available tot he public or academic communities.

They've become secret-obsessed.

As for the Plame affair- it matters who said what to whom because revealing the identity of Plame endangers her, and anyone with whom she came into contact with in the field- whether they were feeding her information or not. It's a crime which goes beyojnd "Shoot, now she's unemployed" and into "Damn, people could die". And why was she outed? Because her husband disagreed with the administration and called BS on their story.

As for the wiretapping- not only is it illegal and unnessecary (FISA being pretty lenient, really), but it needs to be exposed. Not only must the Bush Admin be held accountable, but all Congresspeople (Dem or Repub) who knew about it should be, too. This is why it wil not likely be persued- as the Dems have been falling down on the job and any investigation would implicate the members of their party who knew.

What pisses me off about it is that the NYTimes knew about and sat on the story for a year at the behest of the admin. If one of the reporters hadn't had a book coming out in January which also included some of the information, it would likely never have been reported.

Not when it ITSELF defines the consequences as being flexible if it ITSELF is accountable for prosecution.

If people leak classified material then the people who leaked them needs to be tossed into jail. I hope the government finds them and does just that.

If people leak classified material then the people who leaked them needs to be tossed into jail. I hope the government finds them and does just that.
And that's exactly what Bush has said on many occassions. And it's going to came and bite him in the ass once either his chief political advisor or the president, excuse me, vice president, finally accept the blame. (Which probably won't happen, but we can still hope, right?)