Quote of the Day
Kudos to Republican Senator, Arlen Specter for stating the simple and the obvious, and a statement that the American people deserve an answer to:
Spot on! Indeed.
Link to Quote
''Why does it take a newspaper investigation to get them to comply with the law?'' the senator asked. ''That's a big, important point.''
Spot on! Indeed.
Link to Quote
posted by Tootsie Farklepants at 8:15 AM
6 Comments:
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Hm, the Senate Judiciary Chair might also be able to get some compliance, if he insisted upon it. Though with allies like Arlen, I have to express my thanks for an independent press.
Im baffled. Is he up for re-election? I know he steps out side the party occasionally and I always assumed he just did it because he thought it was the right thing to do, but with this issue I am stunned. Really! I like him ( still do mind ya ).
Good or bad, right or wrong. There are a lot of people on both sides of the fence that think this disclosure is not too good for our war on terrorism. I dont care who disclosed it, I dont think it was right to do so. At least at this point I dont.
I dont know. Im confused about his posture on this and will hold back total judgement until I see more.
humm.
I agree, Matt. To allow the executive administration to remain operating in secrecy, unilaterally and unchecked is an affront to our democratic process.
Just hope no one dies because of this disclosure. And be serious, it could have that kind of impact. Even John Murtha says so.
You cant just be anti Bush all the time. You have to think about the safty and security of the country. And when the day comes that your party is in office you ALL better not be hypicrits and be as tuff on them when they keep state secrets to protect soldiers and citizens. Cause if you dont you will lose all credibility.
Believe it or not folks, sometimes an administration keeps secrets that are to protect the people. And if you dont accept that then lets talk in 3 years when Hillary is keeping secrets and you are complaining about everythning BUT that.
This move by the Times affects all of us.
This might be long...grab a cup of joe.
This isn't anti Bush, Jack. I'm PRO democracy. Are you familiar with the Pentagon Papers and the subsequent United States V the Post and Times? After that trickled through the court system it was the Times v. U.S.
In his concurring statement about the stay of the decision, Justice J. Brennan cited New York Times Co v Sullivan 376 U S 254, 269-270, quote "Secrecy in government is fundamentally anti-democratic, perpetuating bureucratic errors. Open debate and discussion of public issues are vital to our national health. On public questions there should be uninhibited, robust, and wide-open debate." (end quote)
Justice J. Stewart, concurring, had this to say about the powers possessed by the Executive branch and its vast power on matters of national defense and foreign affairs, "I should suppose that moral, political, and practical considerations would dictate that a very first principle of that wisdom would e an insistence upon avoiding secrecy for its own sake. For when everything is classified, then nothing is classified, and the system becomes one to be disregarded by the cynical or the careless, and to be manipulated by those intent on self protection or self promotion."
Nixon screamed national security then too. And what ensued was the most important Supreme Court case on freedom of the press.
"The only security of all is in a free press. The force of public opinion cannot be resisted when permitted freely to be expressed. The agitation it produces must be submitted to. It is necessary, to keep the waters pure." --Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, 1823
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