More on Plame/Novak
I'd like to all the lefties out their howling for Bob Novak to cough up his source for the Plame leak whether they're truly comfortable with this:
A reporter is being held in contempt of court and faces possible jail time, and another was earlier threatened by a federal judge with the same fate, after they refused to answer questions from a special prosecutor investigating whether administration officials illegally disclosed the name of a covert CIA officer last year.
Before you answer, think about Watergate. How likely would we have been to find out about Nixon's criminality at the time, had Deep Throat not felt safe in talking to Bernstein and Woodward? A journalist's right (obligation, in fact) not to give up a confidential source is one of the most fundamental and cherished tenants of a free press in this country, and not something to be taken lightly.
Comments
I actually don't believe Novak should cough up the name. My problem with him is that he was so careless with releasing the name. We all have a common sense meter, and his should have told him to think twice. I can't remember where I read it, but I think I recall that other journalists/columnists came forward to say they had been offered the information as well but had opted not to run with it. Would that Novak had done the same.
Posted by: Katherine | August 10, 2004 07:46 AM