During a Fox News interview, Lieberman claimed that WikiLeaks is responsible for the “most serious violation of the Espionage Act in our history” and should be indicted in a U.S. court. But Lieberman then suggested that news organizations that published leaked material — originally obtained by WikiLeaks — may have also violated the Espionage Act.
“I’m not here to make a final judgment on that,” Lieberman said. “But to me the New York Times has committed at least an act of bad citizenship, but whether they have committed a crime, I think that bears very intensive inquiry by the Justice Department.”
Perhaps Bill Keller will now realize that shitting on Wikileaks and blathering on about the Times’ exercise of journalistic judgment does him absolutely no good. He and Julian Assange are the same fucking thing to the Liebermans of the world.
Also, too: if it didn’t take 60 votes for cloture, Joe Lieberman would be chairman of the Committee to Investigate Dingleberries on Joe Lieberman’s Anus. Because of the 60 vote rule, he runs the Committee on Homeland Security.
Shalimar
I feel very secure. Why isn’t Bill Keller in Siberia, er Guantanamo already for this horrible thing he has done to the Constitution?
bkny
with all the other news yesterday, i suspect no one saw this. i’m surprised they didn’t change the press freedom date to april 1:
state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/12/152465.htm
U.S. to Host World Press Freedom Day in 2011
Press Statement
Philip J. Crowley
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Public AffairsWashington, DC
December 7, 2010
The United States is pleased to announce that it will host UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day event in 2011, from May 1 – May 3 in Washington, D.C. UNESCO is the only UN agency with the mandate to promote freedom of expression and its corollary, freedom of the press.
The theme for next year’s commemoration will be 21st Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers. The United States places technology and innovation at the forefront of its diplomatic and development efforts. New media has empowered citizens around the world to report on their circumstances, express opinions on world events, and exchange information in environments sometimes hostile to such exercises of individuals’ right to freedom of expression. At the same time, we are concerned about the determination of some governments to censor and silence individuals, and to restrict the free flow of information. We mark events such as World Press Freedom Day in the context of our enduring commitment to support and expand press freedom and the free flow of information in this digital age.
JGabriel
Lieberman is an ass (and, yes, the sky IS blue).
The only person who could be remotely charged with a violation of the espionage act is Manning, and even that’s pushing it. Wikileaks, NYT, et. al., aren’t even in the ballpark of violating it.
.
Alex S.
Heh, I foresaw that. After Assange and Wikileaks, the newspaper would be next. This is such an absurd game and everyone plays along. It’s as if everyone knows that the rape charges against Assange are just an excuse for his real crime: breaking the information monopoly of the rich and powerful (In the information age information is a currency). I also don’t understand the people who downplay the relevance of the leaks along the lines of “We already knew that” etc… Well, obviously, the leaks are threatening enough for Joe Lieberman to suggest legal action against the newspaper of record because they analysed them.
If Wikileaks actually publishes their information on the financial sector, things will get even worse. Any newspaper that publishes them will be punished. Ironically, Assange’s theory on secretive regimes collapsing under their own weight moves a little closer to reality.
TheMightyTrowel
@bkny: The irony burns worse than my last urinary tract infection!
Blue Neponset
Did I wake up in an alternate universe where the Pentagon Papers and Daniel Ellsberg never existed?
dr. bloor
@Blue Neponset:
So we’ve got Interpol, Sweden, a high-ranking Senator, the DOJ, the WaPo and the New York Fucking Times all chasing down Assange like a pack of starved hounds in an English forest. Dick Nixon must be furiously masturbating all over all nine circles of hell right now.
salacious crumb
what has the world come to, when an editorial page as loyal to Israel as the NYT, meant and counted for something? maybe Lieberman is pissed the NYT isnt advocating mass cleansing of the Palestinians…
Shalimar
@Blue Neponset: Yes. You woke up in a universe where the Roberts court will pretend they never existed.
joe from Lowell
The Espionage Act requires that information be conveyed with the intent of interfering with military operations or aiding a wartime enemy.
Giving the Soviets the plans for the atom bomb = aiding an enemy.
WTF is the Taliban supposed to do with the State Department cables?
Linda Featheringill
First they came for Assange . . . . .
The Republic of Stupidity
No…
I… am… Spartacus…
And meanwhile…
LGRooney
Lieberman obviously is using a copy of the first amendment to pick out the dingleberries.
Svensker
Well, the way he’s going after Assange and the NYT, I expect Lieberman will be going after AIPAC next for passing secrets to the Israelis. Right? Any day now? Hello?
Waldo
I hope, for Keller’s sake, he always used a condom. And a durable one.
daveNYC
It will help them because now they know that the Strait of Hormuz is a strategic location. Because the Taliban doesn’t have Google Earth.
Xenocrates
The voters of the state of Connecticut made “an act of bad citizenship” when they re-elected this sanctimonious blowhard. Damn good thing Holy Joe is not a prosecutor; hence, his wish for an investigation is just that. Go back to pimping for Netanyahu, you miserable piece of corruption! STFU, Joe!!!
sparky
hey mm–i agree with you on this one! holy crap! [sic]
no doubt the folks who think the NYT et al are being irresponsible will show up in this thread shortly.
here’s a little note for those people: did you know that the NYT had to get its copy of the cables from the Guardian (UK) because Wikileaks wouldn’t give them a set?
sad when the paper of the Establishment thinks its more important to protect said Establishment than publish the news. oh well, the NYT did have a pretty long run.
sparky
FYWP–again.
anyway: at least for the moment, it’s still fairly easy to get some news here in the land of the free. just switch to international sources for US and world news. google reader is a fairly easy introduction to international media IMO.
Contracts
@Blue Neponset:
Read the actual Pentagon Papers case (NYT v. US). It’s about prior restraint, not criminal charges. A close reading actually indicates that there were probably at least 3 votes to allow charges under the Espionage Act. What the justices did not want to allow was an emergency injunction to shut down the publication.
RoyG
Every time I start getting pissed about the mendacious behavior of Senator Palpatine, er Lieberman, and his cohorts, like Lady Thatcher, er Feinstein, I think of how the dinosaurs must have felt watching the comet fall from the sky.
Royston Vasey
@sparky: The Guardisn has setup a handy dany database that anyone can browse and look at any of the 250,000 cables. If you like.
Go for it