For those that still don’t believe the Republicans are perfect examples of
hypocrites then perhaps this article from
Reuters will change your thinking.
Congress may probe leaks in CIA prisons
storyTop Republicans in Congress are considering a investigation into leaks of
information used by The Washington Post in an article on a covert global CIA
prison system, congressional sources said on Tuesday.Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee and House of
Representatives Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois were “contemplating”
requesting the investigation and had drafted a letter proposing such a
probe, a congressional source said. The source said letters to the
intelligence committees had not yet been sent.The Washington Post reported last week that the CIA has been holding and
interrogating al Qaeda captives at a secret facility in Eastern Europe, part
of a covert prison system established after the September 11, 2001, attacks.The administration has not confirmed or denied the report.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the administration had just
learned of the congressional leaders’ move for an investigation.“The leaking of classified information is a serious matter. It ought to
be taken seriously,” McClellan said. “But this is a congressional
prerogative and it was a decision that was made by those leaders and that’s
the way I would describe
Valerie Plame’s identity while still in question about being covert was
definitely classified. This has been a fact known all along. Republican’s
couldn’t care less about that leak though. They are concerned over a leak of the
United States engaging in illegal activities though.
Here’s the big difference between the two. Disclosing the identity of Valerie
Plame was not “whistle blowing”, instead it was an actual crime. The recipients
of this information were actually witnesses to the crime, much like someone
being given stolen property. Now the information about these prisons is
classified and the reporters can be considered in the same position, after all
they did receive the information, but there is a big difference. Valerie Plame
was not engaging in illegal activities, these prisons are. That is why “whistle
blowers” need to be protected.
The Republican’s have continously tried to defend the White House in the leak
case by saying the rulings in the investigation fails to protect future whistle
blowers. The judges ruling on the case even said due to the seriousness of the
charge that they were not protected. They try this defense yet they are the
first ones to go after whistle blowers. If this case is not enough proof then
look at
Bunnatine H. Greenhouse.