New Blackout Continues
Yesterday, I noted that none of the major news media had picked up on the story of how the government is using telephone call pattern data to spy on reporters and identify the whistle blowers who talk to them. An entire news cycle has gone by, and still no reporting on this that I have seen. If there's anything on it in today's NY Times, I haven't found it. Nor have I seen it anywhere else.
Which brings up a related comment. Several days ago -- Friday to be exact -- Patrick Fitzgerald disclosed that Dick Cheney had handwritten notes on his copy of the NY Times op-ed by Joe Wilson about Niger uranium. One of those notes said, "Or was this just a junket organized by his wife?" or words to that effect.
A copy of those notes has been available on the net since Friday night. I, and many, many others posted about it on Saturday and Sunday. I believe there was a story on it in the Sunday NY Times. Notwithstanding that, I happened to be watching CNN's Wolf Blitzer around 5:30 last evening when he interrupted his broadcast with "breaking news." What news do you suppose that was? It was the story of Cheney's handwritten notes -- already three days old!
What's with these guys?
Update: I see that ABC has followed up a bit on this story. Apparently the telephone records are being sought pursuant to National Security Letters (NSLs). Formerly, before the mis-named Patriot Act, the FBI was required to seek warrants from a judge before obtaining these types of records, and judges were loath to grant permission to spy on reporters unless there were no alternatives. Under the Patriot Act, the FBI can snoop as much as it wants on its own volition by using the NSLs. It still seems to me this is BIG news, but no one is running with it.
Which brings up a related comment. Several days ago -- Friday to be exact -- Patrick Fitzgerald disclosed that Dick Cheney had handwritten notes on his copy of the NY Times op-ed by Joe Wilson about Niger uranium. One of those notes said, "Or was this just a junket organized by his wife?" or words to that effect.
A copy of those notes has been available on the net since Friday night. I, and many, many others posted about it on Saturday and Sunday. I believe there was a story on it in the Sunday NY Times. Notwithstanding that, I happened to be watching CNN's Wolf Blitzer around 5:30 last evening when he interrupted his broadcast with "breaking news." What news do you suppose that was? It was the story of Cheney's handwritten notes -- already three days old!
What's with these guys?
Update: I see that ABC has followed up a bit on this story. Apparently the telephone records are being sought pursuant to National Security Letters (NSLs). Formerly, before the mis-named Patriot Act, the FBI was required to seek warrants from a judge before obtaining these types of records, and judges were loath to grant permission to spy on reporters unless there were no alternatives. Under the Patriot Act, the FBI can snoop as much as it wants on its own volition by using the NSLs. It still seems to me this is BIG news, but no one is running with it.
posted by walldon | 8:32 AM
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