Senators Question Jailing of Reporter

[sabra]

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/sns-ap-m...

Senators Question Jailing of Reporter

WASHINGTON -- Skeptical senators, concerned over the jailing of New York Times reporter Judy Miller, grilled a Justice Department representative who testified that government procedures for getting information from reporters had worked well for 33 years and didn't need to be altered.

"Here you have a reporter in jail for 85 days and millions of Americans wonder why? I'm one of those," Sen. Arlen Specter said Wednesday as the Judiciary Committee he heads called Miller and others to testify on a proposed bill that would allow reporters to keep the identity of their sources secret.

The jailing of Miller for refusing to discuss her sources with federal prosecutors investigating the disclosure of undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity "has had an obvious chilling effect on other reporters" around the country, said Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican.

Representing the Justice Department, Chuck Rosenberg, a U.S. attorney in Texas, declined to discuss the specifics of Miller's case but said, "We should not enter this debate believing that the First Amendment is under assault by the Department of Justice. Manifestly it is not."

[progressivebydesign]

1. Um. I don't wonder why. And really, most Americans don't care.

Specter asks as if it's some national fucking tragedy that she was jailed. Suddenly the Republicans CARE about the rights of a free press? Does Specter love the Aspens as well?

[SteppingRazor]

2. If we can get a federal shield law out of this...

it will be the one silver lining to Judy Miller's dismal career.

An exception to such a shield law should be if telling that information would constitute in and of itself the committing of a crime. In other words, an exception should be made for Judy.

Telling of knowledge of a crime, however, should be protected.

[progressivebydesign]

3. If used correctly about a crime, but not as the crime itself..

that would be a correct use of a law like that. Miller can't seem to absorb the fact that the TELLING was the CRIME. Being a journalist is about more than a sleek hairdo and an appetite for fois gras.

[SteppingRazor]

9. Exactly...

If the telling of something is in and of itself a crime, then it shouldn't be protected.

But relaying knowledge of crimes should be.

[Rex]

4. Hatchet Face doesn't care about the truth.

Look what he did while on the warren commission. Nothing. All he wanted to do was lie about it being one man and no conspiracy.

[hang a left]

5. Senators Question Jailing of Reporter

Senators Question Jailing of Reporter


By MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN
Associated Press Writer

October 19, 2005, 12:13 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- Skeptical senators, concerned over the jailing of New York Times reporter Judy Miller, grilled a Justice Department representative who testified that government procedures for getting information from reporters had worked well for 33 years and didn't need to be altered.

"Here you have a reporter in jail for 85 days and millions of Americans wonder why? I'm one of those," Sen. Arlen Specter said Wednesday as the Judiciary Committee he heads called Miller and others to testify on a proposed bill that would allow reporters to keep the identity of their sources secret.


The jailing of Miller for refusing to discuss her sources with federal prosecutors investigating the disclosure of undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity "has had an obvious chilling effect on other reporters" around the country, said Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican.

Representing the Justice Department, Chuck Rosenberg, a U.S. attorney in Texas, declined to discuss the specifics of Miller's case but said, "We should not enter this debate believing that the First Amendment is under assault by the Department of Justice. Manifestly it is not."

snip>

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/sns-ap-m...

[sam sarrha]

6. chilling to treasonous thugs and liars....

you can protect a source, but not a criminal act and the criminals who did the crime, that just makes you one of the criminals

reporters are not priests.. and the Miller Ho is not a Nun.

[Vincardog]

8. Amen

[shance]

7. Ahh....dear Arlen..the quack Senator who created the "magic bullet theory"

which claims one bullet hit JFK and Connelly over four times.

In other words, we have a liar who was complicit in the cover up of John F. Kennedy's assasination.

He should be in jail along with Tom Delay and others.

But alas, he's walking the halls of Congress as if he's a legitimate Senator, while he is protecting and defending treasonous spies like Judith Miller.

So Arlen, how does it feel to be a conspirator with those who covered up JFK's death?

Does it ever keep you up at night? I hope it does. Or are you such a pathetic excuse for a waste of space on this planet that you can lie and laugh at the same time.

[xxqqqzme]

10. WTF - Wait just a minute

w/ ALL the crap coming down THIS is what the rethugs decide needs a hearing?

Maybe he'll find a another 'magic bullet'! stranger things have happened!

[anotherdrew]

15. the magic bullet is still in flight...

after all these years... it's been in orbit circling the earth, waiting for thr right moment to strike again.

[deminks]

11. Senator Specter,

I think you want to ask Judy that question, don't you? Otherwise, it just looks like at attack on the justice department since you Repugs can't seem to trip up the prosecutor.

Judy is not just a reporter. Ask her. Ask her why she had to ask for a limit on the scope of questioning. Ask her.

No reporter or anyone else is above the law.

edited to remove confused sentence.

[bee]

12. ridiculous.

"I did not go to jail to protect wrongdoing. I did not go to jail to get a large book contract or to martyr myself." I call bullshit.

And furthermore, since when did senators start caring about peoples rights? Patriot act anyone? Screw them. Theyre just trying to protect themselves from being ratted in the future.

[Mountainman]

13. She wasn't protecting a source for the usual reason. She was protecting

someone in the WHIG. She is not a virtuous reporter who cares about the future of investigative reporting.
We should not let the lie stand.

[daleo]

14. She claimed she was protecting a source

Then, once she gets out and testifies she says she can't remember who her source was. Was she protecting amnesia?

[BR_Parkway]

16. Ask her who she works for n/t

[antonialee839]

17. Read Arlen, then you won't have to wonder why.

[Tight_rope]

18. Why am I not surprised that it was a repuke senator that...

bought this up. It makes me , that these bastards continue to open their big annoying mouths to protect that traitor Miller.

[maddezmom]

19. kick

[bufffbison]

20. Shield law for reporters gets vigorous debate

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9755859 /

Updated: 6:13 p.m. ET Oct. 19, 2005
WASHINGTON - Skeptical senators, concerned over the jailing of New York Times reporter Judith Miller, grilled a Justice Department representative who testified that government procedures for getting information from reporters had worked well for 33 years and didn’t need to be altered.

“Here you have a reporter in jail for 85 days and millions of Americans wonder why? I’m one of those,” Sen. Arlen Specter said Wednesday as the Judiciary Committee he heads called Miller and others to testify on a proposed bill that would allow reporters to keep the identity of their sources secret.

The jailing of Miller for refusing to discuss her sources with federal prosecutors investigating the disclosure of undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame’s identity “has had an obvious chilling effect on other reporters” around the country, said Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican.

[Sinistrous]

21. When a source is conveying information ABOUT a wrongdoing,

then the reporter's right to preserve confidentiality must be absolute.

However, when the act of the source conveying the information IS the wrongdoing, then the reporter has an obligation to reveal the source.

[kostya]

22. Absolutely agree! The repubs would love to have a shield law

that would allow them to do what they did to Valerie Plame over and over again. They used Miller (and she was likely a willing accomplice) and others in a smear campaign, thinking they were shielded. Miller's example is the worst kind to hold up. She stayed in jail until she was signaled by Libby that it was OK to come out, after they'd coached her what to say.

[GetTheRightVote]

23. Judith Miller is a co-cons in the crime family of * and his admin

She should have stayed in the same jail as the rest of them.