Is Novak getting a free ride?

[Fixated]

I can't stand this. Someone anonymous in the WH leaked the info to Novak, but we don't know who. However, we DO know that Novak then took what he knew was information pertinent to national security and released it. Why isn't everyone jumping?

[Noordam]

1. Novak should be in Jail today.

Yes he is going to get a free ride.

[Dookus]

2. Novak should not be in jail

because he broke no laws.

Whoever leaked the information broke the law. There's no law against journalists publishing the truth.

[Noordam]

4. Where did you get that crazy idea

If a journalist releases Top Secret papers they are not off the hook because they are journalist.

You out a CIA operative you have broken the law.

[BloodyWilliam]

5. The 1st amendment takes priority.

Novak might be a slimeball, but as a journalist he isn't so half-assed as we'd all believe. And while I want to see the Bush administration go down in flames, I don't want to sacrifice what little is left of the first amendment to do it. In our zeal to see Bush go down, we cannot trample on the freedom of the press.

Ethicswise, however, I think Novak's in the wrong. But doing what's right and setting precedent for what's right are two different things.

[Noordam]

6. 1st amendment does not take priority in all cases

If you are a journalist and say Joe Blow screws little boys and can not back that up, you can not say well I am just exercising my 1st amendment rights.

Same goes for classified material....

[Dookus]

7. sorry, but it's simply not true.

The government has sole responsibility for keeping its own secrets. It is not the job of the press to do so.

[izzie]

3. And we want them, news men, to put it out.

I do not care to hear Novak speak but he did it right.He is a right wing hack so just why did he do it? Why this guy would sell his mother. He is like Ann, money talks. This makes him bigger. I read that at one time in DC North was the bigget leak in the WH when he was there.Look how he cashed in on that business.And reporters used it at the time.

[leftofthedial]

8. he's an aristocrat

and a loyal servant of the GOP

he is an honorable and moral man

he is one of the finest journalists ever to grace the airwaves

he has integrity

cut him some slack

he's ot like you and me. we deserve punishment for whatever crimes we commit. just forget about his crimes because they are obviously simple mistakes. he was probably misled, perhaps by Clinton's penis. it would be distasteful to arrest such a fine upstanding citizen.

we should instead punish Ms. Plame for allowing him to make such a mistake. she should have stopped him.