Bush declares war on freedom of the press

[RedEyeJedi]

Bush declares war on freedom of the press

March 6, 2006 07:44 AM / The Rant .

By DOUG THOMPSON

Using many of the questionable surveillance and monitoring techniques that brought both questions and criticism to his administration, President George W. Bush has launched a war against reporters who write stories unfavorable to his actions and is planning to prosecute journalists to make examples of them in his "war on terrorism."

Bush recently directed Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to use "whatever means at your disposal" to wiretap, follow, harass and investigate journalists who have published stories about the administration's illegal use of warrantless wiretaps, use of faulty intelligence and anything else he deems "detrimental to the war on terror."

Reporters for The New York Times, which along with Capitol Hill Blue revealed use of the National Security Agency to monitor phone calls and emails of Americans, say FBI agents have interviewed them and criminal prosecutors at the Justice Department admit they are laying "the groundwork for a grand jury that could lead to criminal charges,"

CIA Director Porter Goss told Congress recently that "it is my aim and it is my hope that we will witness a grand jury investigation with reporters present being asked to reveal who is leaking this information. I believe the safety of this nation and the people of this country deserve nothing less."

As part of the investigation, the Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency are wiretapping reporters' phones, following journalists on a daily basis, searching their homes and offices under a USA Patriot Act provision that allows "secret and undisclosed searches" and pouring over financial and travel records of hundreds of Washington-based reporters.

Spokesmen for the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security admit there are "ongoing investigations" regarding publication of stories "involving threats to national security" but will not reveal what those investigations include.

In addition to using the USA Patriot Act to pry into the lives of journalists, the Justice Department has also dusted off a pre-World War I law to prosecute people who receive classified information, although the law was aimed at military personnel not civilians.

"This is the first administration that I can remember, including Nixon's, that said we need to think about a law that would put journalists who print national security things up in front of grand juries and put them in jail if they don't reveal their sources," says David Gergen, who served as President Regan's director of communication and also worked in the Nixon and Ford White Houses.

Political scientist George Harleigh, who worked in the Nixon administration, says such use of federal law enforcement authority was illegal when Nixon tried it and still so today.

"We're talking about a basic violation of the Constitutional guarantee of a free press as well as a violation of the rights of privacy of American citizens," Harleigh says. "I had hoped we would have learned our lessons from the Nixon era. Sadly, it appears we have not."

In recent weeks, the FBI has issued hundreds of "National Security Letters," directing employers, banks, credit card companies, libraries and other entities to turn over records on reporters. Under the USA Patriot Act, those who must turn over the records are also prohibited from revealing they have done so to the subject of the federal probes.

"The significance of this cannot be overstated," says prominent New York litigator Glenn Greenwald. "In essence, while the President sits in the White House undisturbed after proudly announcing that he has been breaking the law and will continue to do so, his slavish political appointees at the Justice Department are using the mammoth law enforcement powers of the federal government to find and criminally prosecute those who brought this illegal conduct to light.

"This flamboyant use of the forces of criminal prosecution to threaten whistle-blowers and intimidate journalists are nothing more than the naked tactics of street thugs and authoritarian juntas."

Just how widespread, and uncontrolled, this latest government assault has become hit close to home last week when one of the FBI's National Security Letters arrived at the company that hosts the servers for this web site, Capitol Hill Blue.

The letter demanded traffic data, payment records and other information about the web site along with information on me, the publisher.

Now that's a problem. I own the company that hosts Capitol Hill Blue. So, in effect, the feds want me to turn over information on myself and not tell myself that I'm doing it. You'd think they'd know better.

I turned the letter over to my lawyer and told him to send the following message to the feds:

**** you. Strong letter to follow.

Source and comments

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.......and so, the fascist games begin in earnest.

[PLO]

Orwell was right.

[Mekorig]

As part of the investigation, the Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency are wiretapping reporters' phones, following journalists on a daily basis, searching their homes and offices under a USA Patriot Act provision that allows "secret and undisclosed searches" and pouring over financial and travel records of hundreds of Washington-based reporters.

Plase post more evidence on this topic. Just saying that happened isnt enough. You need more evidence to support and reinforce your alegations.

[PLO]

"alegations"

lol thats a good one. Wake up, we all live in a police state.

[Mekorig]

eerrrr.....maybe you. Argentina, whit all its flws, is still a democratic country.

[StalingradK]

There is a difference between what people are actually doing and slander. The USA is and will always be a Federal Republic, Representative Democracy as long as the people know wtf is going on.

[billystevo]

I think whats happening is that America is being turned into a soft Dictatorship, Bush wanting his own way all the time makes laws that do that.

Its time for Americans to wake up to what hes doing, its a lot worse than the British would have done if we had been in charge.

[Thanato]

I can belive that the US is clamping down on the Media.

~Thanato

[StalingradK]

I doubt this is an "authentic" article and not just somone's blog, *hint hint*. If our government is actually silencing the media we can simply go to congress with enough support and People-Veto this.

[dnb420]

I doubt this is an "authentic" article and not just somone's blog, *hint hint*. If our government is actually silencing the media we can simply go to congress with enough support and People-Veto this.

Wake up sheep.

[bathory]

ah yes, those illegal wiretaps that you know...weren't illegal!

wiretaps on the press? maybe its to stop illegal leaks, and false stories...you know, like Rather and his Bush memo and the leak on those LEGAL wiretaps between american citizens and known terrorists...because you know, that didn't hurt the intelligence gathering on these people at all...

[dnb420]

ah yes, those illegal wiretaps that you know...weren't illegal!

wiretaps on the press? maybe its to stop illegal leaks, and false stories...you know, like Rather and his Bush memo and the leak on those LEGAL wiretaps between american citizens and known terrorists...because you know, that didn't hurt the intelligence gathering on these people at all...

lol

[supercar]

If the US government was clamping down on freedom of the press(freedom of speech) don't you think they would be clamping down on this thread. The fact you can post anything you want in this forum proves free speech is alive and well in the USA. As well as other countries whose citizens post messages here.

[dnb420]

The internet and onlines forums are the last true freedom of speech we have.

[Otacon]

Grab your rifles brothers and sisters....I smell revolution in the air!

[RedEyeJedi]

Plase post more evidence on this topic. Just saying that happened isnt enough. You need more evidence to support and reinforce your alegations.

Here's all the evidence you need on this:

Fascist Manifesto

'Many a true word spoken in jest'

More sources:

Yahoo News

Washington Post

The internet and onlines forums are the last true freedom of speech we have.

Not for long. Edited March 7, 2006 by RedEyeJedi

[+joc]

Bush hasn't declared war on the press...the press has declared war on Bush!

[Unlimited]

the problem isnt the press the problem is the senate intelligence commitee the cia has narrowed it down to 1 of about 6 senators that is leaking this information which is illegal. someones leaking this info and the only way to find out is to crack down on the press.redeye is so worried about us americans that he obssesses over bush daily i dont give him much thought.

[RedEyeJedi]

redeye is so worried about us americans that he obssesses over bush daily i dont give him much thought.

No, this is what I worry about - the people that don't give it much thought. This is how the administration's agenda works. Bit by bit - in small steps that people don't worry about until it's too late to protest the totalitarian stranglehold.

The leaks actually reveal illegal, immoral actions of the authorities - theirs are the real crimes.

Edited March 7, 2006 by RedEyeJedi

[Sanjuro]

So rise the new age Nazi country.

He is doing things just like Hitler did : blowing up his own peoples, declares war on freedom of the press, sends protestans to jail etc.

http://www.bloodforoil.org/got-oil/got-oil...cheat-steal.gif

http://www.parallel-youniversity.com/image...h_-bush%202.jpg

And for fun:

http://www.boomersfunnies.com/Pictures/Bush%20Monkey.jpg

I have already warned you before about posting innapropriate photos and you have done it again. Please read the PM that is coming your way.

Edited March 8, 2006 by Fluffybunny

[Heru]

Ya but why does our hitler have to look and sound so dumb.

Plus I kinda figured this was gonna happened after the whole not allowed to protest infront of the president. Just not this soon.

[Unlimited]

the comparison to hitler is crazy..afghanistan was a terrorist state....iraq was run by a brutal dictator..hitler was taking over his neighbors who were friendly..you people are mad..

[RedEyeJedi]

the comparison to hitler is crazy..afghanistan was a terrorist state....iraq was run by a brutal dictator..hitler was taking over his neighbors who were friendly..you people are mad..

The Germans agreed with Hitler too, initially.

History is repeating itself.

[KingTomis]

Right, because the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq was for conquest to further our "empire".

Read a history book and stay away from your dumb conspiracy theorist web pages and blogs.

[+joc]

Bit by bit - in small steps that people don't worry about until it's too late to protest the totalitarian stranglehold.

Totalitarian governments never...never...come about bit by bit, in small steps. Totalitarian governments come about suddenly through coups where the powers that be are primarily executed and the executors take the reigns.

Bush is an elected President as are all presidents in America and his tenor will be over in January of 2009 when the next president takes control of the reigns of power. We aren't a totalitarian state.

Edited March 7, 2006 by joc