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They’re their own worst enemies: See Murtha, Times self-destruct
BostonHerald.com ^ | 6-27-06 | Virginia Buckingham

Posted on 06/27/2006 6:34:12 AM PDT by cloud8

Prosecute The New York Times and censure Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.)? I have a better idea: Sit back and watch them self-destruct.

Murtha and The New York Times have done more to aid the fight for Republicans to retain their House and Senate majorities in the last couple of days than Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman could possibly do all year.

But no one, not even the guys who are so devoted to the GOP that they wear elephants on their ties, should be cheering.

What has been lost by Murtha’s rantings and the Times’ irresponsibility can never be regained by electoral victory in the fall. But nor will they regain what they have lost by their own words and actions - the moral high ground.

Let’s start with the Times. We are less safe today from terrorist attack than we were before the Times disclosed the existence of the National Security Agency’s terrorist surveillance program.

We are more in danger today because The New York Times and other outlets disclosed that American intelligence has access to foreign banking transactions.

Combined, these two programs gave American officials tools they did not have before Sept. 11 to track and disrupt terrorist plots before thousands die.

By the Times’ own admission, the “penetration” into international banking networks helped track down the Bali bombers.

How many more innocent young lives were saved, as a result, from a similar fate in other discos in other terrorist strongholds or, as possible, in a nightclub in New York?

Before the Times revealed the two security programs, literally in black and white, al-Qaeda and its allies did not know, could no know for sure, how best to avoid detection.

They know now.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.bostonherald.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: murtha; murthawatch; nyt; wot
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To: cloud8

Too bad for the Democraps that they hate GW so much. A Democrap candidate for President could innoculate himself/herself from the label of being weak on national security by pushing for and getting prosecution of the NYT and involved people under 18 USC 798. It would be an "only Nixon can go to China" incident. Won't happen, though -- their hatred of GW simply runs too deep to do something like that because it would be supportive of GW's position on the issue.


21 posted on 06/27/2006 7:14:50 AM PDT by piytar
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To: Socratic; Kenny Bunk

I heard somewhere that the 'family' is the major stock-holder in the NYCrimes...

I would assume that alerting their major advertisers of our deepening displeasure would be a better solution...

but there are soooooo many of those advertisers..

what do you say, KB?


22 posted on 06/27/2006 7:17:01 AM PDT by bitt ("Land of the Free, because of the Brave...")
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To: cloud8

Ms. Buckingham hit the nail on the head. The heinous acts that Jack Murtha and the New York Times committed are beyond redemption.

The self destruction of the Times will have to slowly take its course but all of us can help in the self destruction of Murtha by supporting Diana Irey who will unseat him come November.

http://www.irey.com/


23 posted on 06/27/2006 7:30:35 AM PDT by jazusamo (DIANA IREY for Congress, PA 12th District: Retire murtha.)
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To: cloud8

Realistically, does anyone believe that the NYT will ever be prosecuted and if so, due to the First Amendment, will it ever fly?

I'd really like some feedback on this.


24 posted on 06/27/2006 7:35:08 AM PDT by no dems ("Mr. President: Put up that wall.")
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To: Coop

BTTT


25 posted on 06/27/2006 7:35:19 AM PDT by E.G.C.
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To: no dems

> Realistically, does anyone believe that the NYT will ever be prosecuted and if so, due to the First Amendment, will it ever fly?

I've posted before, if the Administration lifts a finger there will be a First Amendment case that will rock the nation. The Times, longing for a Watergate type scandal to topple the Administration, would revel in this, and old media would fall in behind them for their last hurrah.

Besides speaking out to chastise the Times for its reckless disclosure, as the President and Secretary Snow have done, I would think the next step is for DOJ to find who leaked the classified info, subpoena documents from the paper to see if any laws had been broken...but like the Plame affair--which in retrospect seems to have been a shot fired across the bow, that'll take a special prosecutor and three years.

I'm surprised there has been no talk of congressional hearings on the matter.


26 posted on 06/27/2006 7:57:40 AM PDT by cloud8
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To: cloud8
"In spite of her "self-destruct" lead, Buckingham makes a better case why the NYT should be prosecuted."

Actually, she does just the opposite. She makes the case why the NYT should not be prosecuted. If the NYT is prosecuted, the NYT and the left will change the subject to protection of the 1st amendment and "Bush is engaging in one more step to take away our privacy and free press (i.e., fascism)." She makes the case that it may be better to just let the NYT self-destruct to keep the left from trying to paint Bush as taking away constitutional rights in the name of fighting terrorism.

She has a point. I have been for prosecuting the NYT, but a better strategy (to keep from playing into the hands of the left) may be to let them self-destruct and prove its irrelevance.
27 posted on 06/27/2006 7:58:14 AM PDT by Hendrix
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To: cloud8
"I would think the next step is for DOJ to find who leaked the classified info"

It may be better to subpoena the NYT reporters and editors in a grand jury investigation of who leaked classified information (rather than charge the NYT) and then jail the reporters and editors when they refuse to testify, much like the Miller situation. The government could even start out by saying it is not going after the NYT to take away any first amendment argument by the NYT. I would love to see the NYT editors in jail.
28 posted on 06/27/2006 8:03:10 AM PDT by Hendrix
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To: randog
I smell a bumper sticker

NY Times to New York: Drop Dead!

The New York Times: Al-Jazeera West

Screw 9/11 -- The New York Times

29 posted on 06/27/2006 8:18:24 AM PDT by Wolfstar (Where you go with me, heaven will always be.)
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To: bitt
NYCrimes

I like it!!!

DUMP MURTHA

30 posted on 06/27/2006 9:20:18 AM PDT by Just A Nobody (NEVER AGAIN..Support our Troops! www.irey.com and www.vets4Irey.com - Now more than Ever!)
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To: no dems
Realistically, does anyone believe that the NYT will ever be prosecuted...

In election year? Not a chance. And Arlen Specter has already thrown a protective arm around the Times. So even the Repubs aren't united.

31 posted on 06/27/2006 11:40:52 AM PDT by RedRover (Dump Murtha! Support Diana Irey! www.irey.com)
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To: Wolfstar

new tag, thank you very much....


32 posted on 06/27/2006 2:35:09 PM PDT by bitt (NY Times to New York: Drop Dead!)
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To: bitt

You're welcome. :)


33 posted on 06/27/2006 2:49:20 PM PDT by Wolfstar (Where you go with me, heaven will always be.)
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To: piytar

I call for congressional hearings, a special prosecutor assigned, and Alberto Gonzalez to investigate into the violation of laws pertaining to classified data. We should demand that Gonzalez empanel a grand jury and subpoena everyone involved in the leaks, including Lichtblau, Risen, Keller, the reporters and editors at the Los Angeles Times, and all of the relevant personnel at the CIA and Pentagon with access to this information. If they will not reveal thier sources, they should be imprisoned until they do. We need our elected representatives to start taking national-security leaks seriously.


34 posted on 06/27/2006 2:52:56 PM PDT by Colt_45cal
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To: Mind-numbed Robot
Bah, This American don't. People in the military are good, honorable people, even if they don't agree with the war. This guy loses all credit with me when he says I can't do something, because his generation screwed up in Vietnam. Good Bless everyone who fought there. They were fighting blindfolded with one hand tied behind their backs, and they kicked butt and took names. America failed our veterans, as they did the people of Vietnam. It can never happen again. Iraq will not be another Vietnam because we won't let it happen again. The Job of all Freepers is to write the editors, not let the stupid snide remark slide, and vote, not just in the ballot box, but with out feet and our money. Us in Uniform, we'll take care of the rest. God Bless
35 posted on 06/27/2006 2:57:07 PM PDT by Dimez Apart (Absolute Infantry - OIF Current)
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To: no dems

The President was giving us the lead in his speech the other day.

He described the actions of the NYT in very negative terms.

He is letting the Justice Department do what is legally allowed to put a stop to it.

BUT. The only real action is the one that WE do.

We must get their Board members to realize they are going under if they do not correct the leadership/management problem they have.

I don't want CBS, NYT, etc. going down in flames. Many people would be out of work. Many of those people are innocent in all this.

The problem comes from the TOP. This is a private issue, and not one the government can solve. The Media, as long as it can make profit from influence-peddling to the power-mad in political positions, will continue to do so. The market is there.

President Bush is overseeing the correct administration of the Department of Justice, and the investigative agencies (FBI, NSA,GSA,etc) in following the law and prosecuting those who don't. There has been more activity behind the curtains (meaning the media didn't report it) than you are likely aware of.

For instance, before the 2nd new director or the FBI was sworn in, IIRC, over 50% of the staff had been terminated. (I think the figure was higher, but won't argue it without finding the proper figure first).

Demanding the President take out the NYT is asking him to step, IMHO, over the line. A line we won't like crossed, when we see the results of leaders who don't have the legal standards, morals, and convictions of our current President.

The NYT is part of a company that lives in the private sector, the capitalism that we are so known for.

That is OUR territory, and not the governments'.

As the stockholders start complaining, heads will roll.

This is the American way, not forcing our President to go beyond the law to solve a problem that is truly personal.

That we swallow the pigslop the MSM feeds us is our own fault. They have been doing so ever since the first magistrate found it could help 'control' the masses.

We have this tool, the INTERNET, that is helping us defeat our enemy, which is named IGNORANCE.

That is how we solve this problem.

Then, we can stand up for right, and against wrong.

It has always been choosing and standing up for one or the other. We must not expect 'others' to do our fighting for us. If you take a 'bye', it means you lose.


36 posted on 06/27/2006 3:28:12 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 (I will go down with this ship, and I won't put my hands up in surrender.)
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To: Dimez Apart
", because his generation screwed up in Vietnam."

Yes. Because the Democrats used it for political gain, no matter who it hurt.

"Good Bless everyone who fought there. They were fighting blindfolded with one hand tied behind their backs, and they kicked butt and took names."

Needs to be said, over and over.

37 posted on 06/27/2006 3:34:25 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 (I will go down with this ship, and I won't put my hands up in surrender.)
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To: Dimez Apart

like your style.


38 posted on 06/27/2006 3:41:51 PM PDT by bitt (NY Times to New York: Drop Dead!)
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To: Coop

Murtha has got to go!!!
[Mrs T]


39 posted on 06/27/2006 4:46:43 PM PDT by trooprally (Never Give Up - Never Give In - Remember Our Troops)
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To: Dimez Apart; smoothsailing; Just A Nobody; Mo1; StarCMC; W04Man; 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub; ...
Our sincere thanks for your proud service to our country. W04, I'd like to nominate this fine quote for consideration for your website:

America failed our veterans, as they did the people of Vietnam. It can never happen again. Iraq will not be another Vietnam because we won't let it happen again. The Job of all Freepers is to write the editors, not let the stupid snide remark slide, and vote, not just in the ballot box, but with out feet and our money. Us in Uniform, we'll take care of the rest. God Bless

www.vets4irey.com

40 posted on 06/27/2006 4:51:00 PM PDT by Coop (No, there are no @!%$&#*! polls on Irey vs. Murtha!)
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