# Here's the attempt to "Swiftboat' Obama **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 16, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685 "2012-08-16T17:12:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/281 "2012-08-24T03:29:42Z")
The media is just the microphone, I blame the speaker, not the microphone. The responsibility for the leaks lies with the leakers. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/282 "2012-08-24T03:59:15Z")
So would you now assert that Obama is leaking scoops to Fox News? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/283 "2012-08-24T04:05:41Z")
Of course! That’s it! Obama knows the story is going to get out, about how he broke into tears in the Situation Room and Hillary had to slap him around, get him to give the order… So, he gets out in front of it, he leaks it to Fox, so then he can say its all a bunch of Fox News bullshit! Thus discrediting this American hero who going to reveal to the world what a hysterical nelly we got for a President… ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/284 "2012-08-24T04:06:52Z")
Fox didn’t give a source, did they? Hard to know unless they say who the source is. The NY Times story on Iran and drone strikes said, “Two dozen current and former administration officials”. Hard to argue that the President didn’t approve that. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/285 "2012-08-24T04:07:30Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The media is just the microphone, I blame the speaker, not the microphone. The responsibility for the leaks lies with the leakers. Ah, the party of personal responsibility. I’ve been missing it, lately. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/286 "2012-08-24T04:32:00Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The media is just the microphone, I blame the speaker, not the microphone. The responsibility for the leaks lies with the leakers. The media is people who are supposed to have ethics. They’re not a piece of mindless electronics. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/287 "2012-08-24T06:50:48Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Hard to argue that the President didn’t approve that. Did Nixon approve the Pentagon Papers? ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/288 "2012-08-24T07:20:08Z")
No, but their release happened on his watch, so he was responsible! Just as Adaher would no doubt argue that ultimately Bush holds responsiblity for 911. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/289 "2012-08-24T22:05:58Z")
[Al-Qaeda has now vowed revenge against the SEAL whose identity Fox News leaked](http://thinkprogress.org/security/2012/08/24/743941/qaeda-seal-bin-laden-revenge/) - and whose name, incidentally, CNN/MSNBC et al have refused to publish at a DoD request. Fox News has now done, **for real** , that which **adaher** and the pundits on the right **imagined** Obama was doing - publishing classified information for personal gain which puts the lives of our troops at risk. Still think Fox is blameless? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/290 "2012-08-25T01:17:42Z")
They are not blameless, but I still want to know who leaked the actual name of the SEAL. Fox didn’t just make it up on their own, someone told them. if it turns out that someone inside the administration gave it up, Plame style, watch out. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/291 "2012-08-25T01:31:24Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > **The media is just the microphone, I blame the speaker, not the microphone.** The responsibility for the leaks lies with the leakers. > [@adaher](#): > > **They are not blameless** , but I still want to know who leaked the actual name of the SEAL. Fox didn’t just make it up on their own, someone told them. > > if it turns out that someone inside the administration gave it up, Plame style, watch out. So which is it? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/292 "2012-08-25T01:39:55Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > if it turns out that someone inside the administration gave it up, Plame style, watch out. There’s of course absolutely no evidence that anyone in the administration gave up the name, of course… but you’re just asking questions, right? ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/293 "2012-08-25T08:06:49Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > if it turns out that someone inside the administration gave it up, Plame style, watch out. Why? Do you think they should be punished, “Plame Style”? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/294 "2012-08-25T08:12:52Z")
If someone in the administration leaked the SEAL’s name, then there should be the same investigation of officials that we saw in the Plame case. Especially since this is far more serious. Plame never faced death as a result of her position being leaked. This SEAL does. As for Fox, they should get the same thing Robert Novak got. Nothing. The primary culprit is the leaker, not the press that reports on the leak. ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/295 "2012-08-25T09:40:45Z")
I disagree with adaher’s position, but I don’t think he’s being hypocritical or inconsistent necessarily. Smapti posted new information and adaher assimilated that information and attenuated his views. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/296 "2012-08-25T10:44:36Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > If someone in the administration leaked the SEAL’s name, then there should be the same investigation of officials that we saw in the Plame case. Especially since this is far more serious. Plame never faced death as a result of her position being leaked. This SEAL does. > > As for Fox, they should get the same thing Robert Novak got. Nothing. **The primary culprit is the leaker, not the press that reports on the leak.** Bullshit. Fox was not forced to release the name. They’re just as culpable as the driver who never goes inside the bank during a robbery. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/297 "2012-08-25T11:14:54Z")
I’m not familiar with the case law. When was the last time a journalist or new organization faced legal action due to printing classified information? Seymour Hersh makes his living doing that kind of thing. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/298 "2012-08-25T11:32:45Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I’m not familiar with the case law. When was the last time a journalist or new organization faced legal action due to printing classified information? Seymour Hersh makes his living doing that kind of thing. I was making a _comparison_. You claim that Fox News had no control over releasing the name. They could have kept the name secret as they were requested to do but they made the choice to make the reveal. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/299 "2012-08-25T11:46:02Z")
They definitely have control, but all media does. And all media releases classified information. Especially the “respectable” media like the NY Times. I don’t see why we’d expect Fox to show more discretion. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/300 "2012-08-25T11:50:17Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > They definitely have control, but all media does. And all media releases classified information. Especially the “respectable” media like the NY Times. I don’t see why we’d expect Fox to show more discretion. The “respectable media like the NY Times” have refused to publish “Mark Owen”'s real name. Fox News has. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685.md?page=16)