Rep. Peter King (R-NY) says the New York Times has committed an act of treason by reporting on the secret activities of the Bush Administration. (video)
It's treason because "we're at war."
By this reasoning, if the war against terrorism lasts forever, the U.S. Government should forever have the right to conduct its business in secret.
In other words, the First Amendment right to a free press shall be null and void for as long as we are at war against terrorism. Cause in a democracy, we should all just shut up and trust our government.
Peter King has some very peculiar ideas about democracy:
In filmaker Alexander Pelosi's documentary about the 2004 election, Rep. King was caught on camera at a White House event (before November 2004 even rolled around) saying "It's already over. The election's over. we won." When Pelosi asks him how he knows that, he responds "It's all over but the counting, and we'll take care of the counting."
Why do I think Rep. Peter King will have a dramatic change of mind when a Democrat moves into the White House in 2009?
Editor and Publisher:
WASHINGTON The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee urged the Bush administration Sunday to seek criminal charges against The New York Times for reporting on a secret financial-monitoring program used to trace terrorists.
Rep. Peter King blasted the newspaper's decision last week to report that the Treasury Department was working with the CIA to examine messages within a massive international database of money-transfer records.
"I am asking the Attorney General to begin an investigation and prosecution of The New York Times -- the reporters, the editors and the publisher," said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y. "We're at war, and for the Times to release information about secret operations and methods is treasonous."
The conservative lawmaker called the paper "pompous, arrogant, and more concerned about a left-wing elitist agenda than it is about the security of the American people."
King said he would send a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez formally requesting a criminal investigation into the report.
Also appearing on Fox News, King said, "The time has come for the American people to realize, and the New York Times to realize, we’re at war and they can’t be on their own deciding what to declassify, what to release. If Congress wants to work on this privately, that’s one thing. But for them to, on their own, for the editor of the New York Times to say that he decides it’s in the national interest -- no one elected them to anything.
The Times argues that the Bush Administration's justification for secrecy is lame.
Meanwhile, The Decider is pissed: "The disclosure of this program is disgraceful," he barked, while "jabbing his finger for emphasis."
The Commander's rightwing followers agree, and they agree to such an extent that you can almost see the foam frothing from their mouths:
Treason - Prosecute the NY Slimes!!
And . . . .
Is it Time to Bomb the New York Times?
Politics Bush Cheney Bank Data Program Terrorism Republicans Peter King Election 2006 New York Times First Amendment Republican Corruption Swift Treason
