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Whistleblowers denounce Obama administration's secrecy crackdown
Masslive.com ^ | March 28, 2012 | Jack Flynn

Posted on 03/28/2012 8:32:19 PM PDT by libertarian27

SOUTH HADLEY – Three prominent whistleblowers appearing at Mount Holyoke College Wednesday said exposing government misconduct has become more daunting during the Obama administration, despite the president’s assurances to the contrary.

The speakers – Daniel Ellsberg, best known for leaking the Pentagon Papers in 1971; Jesselyn Radack, author and former U.S. Justice Department lawyer; and Thomas Drake, former National Security Agency official targeted in an aborted espionage prosecution – said the government has become increasingly aggressive in protecting disclosure of embarrassing or illegal activities.

“This is the most aggressively secretive administration we’ve seen,” said Ellsworth, the first American to be prosecuted under the Espionage Act for leaking the 7,000-page Pentagon Papers to the New York Times in 1971.

In addition to charges against Ellsworth and a co-defendant, which were dismissed in 1973, two others individuals were prosecuted for leaking secrets before Obama took office in 2008, Ellsworth said. Since then, six whistleblower cases have been filed under the Espionage Act, representing a dramatic, if largely unheralded, shift in national policy, Ellsworth said.

(Excerpt) Read more at masslive.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: obama; whistleblower
Full article title: Whistleblowers Daniel Ellsberg, Thomas Drake and Jesselyn Radack denounce Obama administration's secrecy crackdown

Must have been a pretty interesting lecture to attend for Mount Holyoke College in the Progressive Happy Valley of MA.

1 posted on 03/28/2012 8:32:29 PM PDT by libertarian27
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To: libertarian27

Lefties eating lefties. Great fun!


2 posted on 03/28/2012 8:50:40 PM PDT by Henry Hnyellar
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To: libertarian27

The secrecy is to prevent the public from worrying about the corruption, or finding out the truth about the incompetence. Other than that, it is simply the overthrow of the US being carried out without exposure to political criticism. Obama is a sensitive, young lad who doesn’t perform well under pressure.


3 posted on 03/28/2012 8:53:13 PM PDT by pallis
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interesting.


4 posted on 03/28/2012 8:55:56 PM PDT by The Mayor ("If you can't make them see the light, let them feel the heat" — Ronald Reagan)
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To: libertarian27

Ruh roh.

When you’ve lost Ellsberg, you’ve lost the left.

Gonna be a hot summer.


5 posted on 03/28/2012 8:56:22 PM PDT by reagandemocrat
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...

Thanks libertarian27.
The speakers -- Daniel Ellsberg, best known for leaking the Pentagon Papers in 1971; Jesselyn Radack, author and former U.S. Justice Department lawyer; and Thomas Drake, former National Security Agency official targeted in an aborted espionage prosecution -- said the government has become increasingly aggressive in protecting disclosure of embarrassing or illegal activities. "This is the most aggressively secretive administration we’ve seen," said Ellsworth...
WTH Ellsworth is, eh? Nice "journalism" job, the same kind of fact-checking that led to the Kenyan-born Muzzie being forced into the White House in the first place.


6 posted on 03/28/2012 8:58:28 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him)
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To: libertarian27

Wait. Who’s “Ellsworth”?


7 posted on 03/28/2012 8:59:28 PM PDT by reagandemocrat
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To: SunkenCiv

This site/paper is known for errors - I just cut n’ paste....they’ll get around to fixing it - it’s already been adjusted once that I can see by the time stamps....lol


8 posted on 03/28/2012 9:03:43 PM PDT by libertarian27 (Check my profile page for the FReeper Online Cookbook 2011)
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To: All

FYI, I had to check abut the Pentagon Papers, but they didn’t even have info from the Nixon years. Only 1945-1967. Of course, with disagreements with people like Ellsberg, the left will say this proves Obama is a centrist.


9 posted on 03/28/2012 9:14:07 PM PDT by PghBaldy (Obama is afraid if he needs to start a fight with Catholics. He's losing the women vote!!!)
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To: PghBaldy
Of course, with disagreements with people like Ellsberg, the left will say this proves Obama is a centrist.

I don't know about that - many of the far left revere Ellsberg, the run-of-the-mill dems think his name is Ellsworth - like this reporter....

Either way, interesting story and quotes.

10 posted on 03/28/2012 9:25:57 PM PDT by libertarian27 (Check my profile page for the FReeper Online Cookbook 2011)
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To: libertarian27

More shotty journalism. They can’ even get his name right Ellsberg changed to Ellsworh after the second paragraph. Pathetic!!!!


11 posted on 03/28/2012 9:37:17 PM PDT by Despot of the Delta
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To: libertarian27
For many leftist with a shred of honesty or decency the Obama Thugocracy is the opposite of what they claim to value as far as freedom from tyranny and war mongering. They should be turning on him in droves.
12 posted on 03/28/2012 10:44:45 PM PDT by Bellflower (The LORD is Holy, separated from all sin, perfect, righteous, high and lifted up.)
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To: reagandemocrat

Isn’t he the Dan Akroyd character from the Blues Brothers?


13 posted on 03/29/2012 3:05:54 AM PDT by 1010RD (First, Do No Harm)
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Another article about the lecture - from the Daily Hampshire Gazette (References Barry only once - it’s all Bush’s fault)

http://www.gazettenet.com/2012/03/29/whistleblowers-can-pay-heavy-price-for-speaking-out
Whistleblowers can pay heavy price for speaking out


14 posted on 03/29/2012 6:06:16 AM PDT by libertarian27 (Check my profile page for the FReeper Online Cookbook 2011)
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To: 1010RD

Ellwood isn’t it?


15 posted on 03/29/2012 6:14:38 AM PDT by listenhillary (Courts, law enforcement, roads and national defense should be the extent of government)
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To: pallis

Mandatory reading, ‘Throw Them All Out’ by Schweitzer for all Americans especially students.


16 posted on 03/29/2012 6:37:18 AM PDT by doc
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To: libertarian27

Considering the historical ends that are typically delivered upon Useful Idiot quislings like Comrade Elsberg — once their usefulness is ended — he has good reason to be worried.


17 posted on 03/29/2012 6:41:12 AM PDT by LomanBill (Animals! The DemocRats blew up the windmill with an Acorn!)
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