Stifling Dissent and the Free Flow of Information

As Jonathan Alter reports in Newsweek, Bush summoned the publisher (Arthur Sulzberger Jr.) and editor (Bill Keller) to the Oval Office to disuss the imminent publishing of the NY Times report on the NSA's warrantless spying activity. The NY Times had already, at the Administration's request, sat on the story for a year (possibly back to before the 2004 presidential election. Whether or not the story was ready for publication in time for the election, the Times should have reported the story. As they did during the Vietnam War by publishing the Pentagon Papers, the Times should have put the public's right to know about what the Administration was doing in the name of security rather than bow to Executive Branch supression. While Bush's entreaty at the 11th hour didn't halt the publication of the story, it had before yielded to the Administration's request. The Times' story demonstrated a profound change in the relationship between the Executive branch with the other branches of government, arguably, the largest change since Watergate. Bush and his Administration wanted to re-establish a doctrine of Executive supremacy in decision-making, where the President's perogative defines legality. It is wrong and illegal and I look forward to a Congressional investigation.