The media is just the microphone, I blame the speaker, not the microphone. The responsibility for the leaks lies with the leakers.
So would you now assert that Obama is leaking scoops to Fox News?
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…
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.
Ah, the party of personal responsibility. I’ve been missing it, lately.
The media is people who are supposed to have ethics. They’re not a piece of mindless electronics.
Did Nixon approve the Pentagon Papers?
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.
Al-Qaeda has now vowed revenge against the SEAL whose identity Fox News leaked - 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?
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?
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?
Why? Do you think they should be punished, “Plame Style”?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.