Have Matt Cooper and Judith Miller of NYTimes figured it out yet ?

[kentuck]

They go before the judge today with the threat of 18 months of prison time. They seem to look at it as a simple threat to the First Amendment and the right of reporters to report in a free society. But, it is more.

It all goes back to the Plame affair, when Robert Novak - an ally of this Administration - broke the name of a CIA agent to the press. His excuse was that "everybody" knew she was an agent already. But "everyone" did not know.

But, how can Robert Novak get off on such charges as Miller and Cooper are standing before the judge on similar charges? They did not break the Plame story. But, the political motive behind the intimidation of the Times reporters is to get them before the judge and have the judge reaffirm their right under the First Amendment to protect their sources. In the process, it will include Robert Novak in the decision, even though not by name. And Novak will be off the hook and the Administration will continue to have their right-wing mouth-piece and Miller and Cooper have been used as simple pawns in the game.

[aquart]

1. But such willing pawns.

[el_gato]

2. yep, and if hell exists I hope they burn in it

[WildClarySage]

3. Why the hell isn't Novak up before that judge???

I hate Miller and don't know much about Cooper, but honestly...

[kentuck]

4. He is....

in the form of Miller and Cooper. When the judge says they do not have to reveal their sources, Novak is off the hook....without ever going to trial.

[punpirate]

5. My take on this...

... is that Cooper and Miller did not run the story before Novak did. The independent prosecutor is probably working on the assumption that because they initially rejected publication, they aren't entitled to press privilege in this matter, which might be legal hair-splitting--they are journalists, but not journalists on this particular story. No story, no sources to protect--that's probably the logic involved.

[kentuck]

6. Miller has never run a Plame story...

Miller did, but after Novak... I think it is simple intimidation of the "liberal" media so they will think twice before they attack a right-winger or this Administration again.

[never cry wolf]

7. From today's Chicago Tribune

snip-----

In the Plame case, none of the reporters Fitzgerald has subpoenaed is responsible for the original publication of the leak. Miller never wrote about it.

Because grand jury proceedings are secret, it's not clear whether Novak, a conservative columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, has been subpoenaed. Novak's column of July 14, 2003, cited "two senior administration officials" as sources for his reporting.

Plame's husband, retired diplomat Joseph Wilson IV, charged that his wife's cover was blown by someone in the administration as payback for his criticism of its Iraq policy.

Novak's lawyer, James Hamilton, declined to say whether his client has been subpoenaed or is cooperating with the investigation. Fitzgerald spokesman Randall Samborn declined to discuss either the Plame case or the Global Relief subpoenas.

Floyd Abrams, an attorney for Miller and Cooper, did not respond to a request for comment.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0412080328dec08,1,7758475.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed