Funny How The Right To Know Has Changed Among The Left
Dec 31, 2009 Political
Back when George Bush was president the al-Qaeda wing of the media, The New York Times, would routinely divulge our nation’s secrets. Sometimes the paper would sit on a story for a while and when they finally released it that would claim that they had held onto it because of pressure from the White House but that the public interest was best served by releasing the info. You had such a right to know that some Democrats leaked info as well…
The information released involved methods we used to track terrorists, the fact that we intercepted their phone calls and any number of other items dealing with our security. If it was a national security secret then it was a sure bet the NYT would release it.
Recently a terrorist made his way on an airplane and tried to blow it up. The Transportation Security Administration sent out a memo about increased security and that memo was not supposed to be released to the public. Evidently, several bloggers got hold of it and published it.
Were they honored as serving the public’s interest? Were they deemed to have the best interest of the country at heart? Were they held up in liberal worship as the NYT is?
No, they were served subpoenas and told that they had to divulge who gave them the information. The government used its ham handed techniques of threatening the livelihood of the people if they did not cooperate and laptop computers were taken. While the terrorist who tried to blow up the plane has received the best medical care in the world and was read his Miranda Rights two people who broke no laws are being harassed by the government.
I can understand the TSA being a little touchy because this is the second time in a month that confidential information belonging to them has wound up on the web. They have a leak and it is up to them to find it.
I have no problem with the government trying to keep its secrets secret but the review should involve looking at the people who work for the agency. Look at the emails and see who sent it out and fire that person.
If government is this hell bent on pursuing leaks then I expect to see subpoenas hit the NYT next time there is a leak.
Of course that leak won’t be until there is a Republican in the White House…
Source:
Yahoo News
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Tags: harassment, leaked info, new york times, subpoena, tsa
Obama Invokes Executive Privilege; Where Is The Outraged Left?
Dec 3, 2009 Political
When George Bush was president there was a trumped up scandal involving a faux undercover CIA agent and her wanna-be ambassador husband. The entire “scandal” was called Plame Gate after Valerie Plame, the CIA agent who was not covert but acted like she was a secret squirrel. There was also a so called scandal involving Bush’s dismissal of several US Attorneys, an act that was completely within his power as president (and something Clinton did as well).
Several of President Bush’s aides and Vice President Cheney were subpoenaed to appear before Congress (with regard to these and other incidents) and explain themselves but their boss declined invoking executive privilege (though he offered limited access). The Democrats were livid and the leftist blogosphere went nuts with visions of people being “frog marched” out of the White House. Here is what Democrat Henry Waxman had to say about the executive privilege claim in the Plame case:
The claim of executive privilege is ludicrous.
We are not seeking access to the communications between the Vice President and the President. We are seeking access to the communications between the Vice President and FBI investigators. The Vice President talked with the FBI investigators voluntarily and he did so knowing that what he said could be disclosed publicly in a criminal trial. Mr. Fitzgerald told us that “there were no agreements, conditions and understandings” that limited Mr. Fitzgerald’s use of the interview in any way.
This unfounded assertion of executive privilege does not protect a principle; it protects a person.
The President is wrong to shield Vice President Cheney from scrutiny. In our system of government, even the Vice President should be accountable for his actions. [from an above linked article]
Here is the big question. Where is Waxman and where are the other Democrats who had their panites in a wad over this incident now that Barack Obama has invoked executive privilege. Yep, Obama has said that his Social Secretary, Desiree Rogers, will not appear before Congress to provide information on how two people were able to get into the White House without an invitation. Congress wants her to appear and she was in the middle of the episode but Obama said she will not appear.
Earlier Wednesday at his regular briefing with reporters, Mr. Obama’s press secretary, Robert Gibbs, said Ms. Rogers would not testify. “I think you know that, based on separation of powers, staff here don’t go to testify in front of Congress,’’ he said. “She won’t — she will not be testifying in front of Congress.’’ Jammie Wearing Fool
It appears as if Gibbs is saying that the rules that Waxman and others wanted applied to Bush do not apply to Obama.
Where are you liberals? Where is your outrage? Where is Henry Waxman discussing the “unfounded assertion of executive privilege” and admonishing Obama on how our government works?
The liberals seem to be fairly silent on this and feel that Obama is within his right to keep Rogers from testifying. Personally, I believe that Bush was within his right and that Obama is as well. There is established law to support the decisions each of them made in US v. Nixon which limits executive privilege claims only during criminal proceedings.
That case dealt with people who were subpoenaed. I don’t think Rogers has been subpoenaed yet. Her presence was requested and Obama refused. A subpoena might come next but I doubt Obama would honor it.
In any event, I never blew a gasket over Bush’s refusals, the liberal left (but I repeat myself) did. So, where are they now?
Some much for transparency. So much for an end to politics as usual. They said if I voted for McCain I would get four more years of Bush.
It is beginning to look like that is party true. Of course, I would love to hear the liberals chime in on this. You can be sure that some will comment and justify this behavior. They seem to be able to justify everything that they so vehemently opposed when Bush was in office. Hell, they might even blame this on Bush since that seems to be the way the Democrats address everything.
As an aside, if the government panel’s recommendations on breast cancer screening had been made (and followed) 20 years ago Rogers might not even be here. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003, when she was 44 years old. That is six years before the new recommendation. Under Obamacare, she might not be living through this mess. I’m glad she was able to get it diagnosed and has survived it.
Sources:
Commentary Magazine
Jules Crittenden
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Tags: Bush, Congress, desiree rogers, Obama, party crashers, Plame, subpoena, waxman