Are we the press? Are we protected as press?

petunia on November 10, 2009 at 5:29 PM

Pet peeve: “the press” does not mean established and approved news outlets. The Press referred to in the United States constitution’s first amendment is the general right to publish and distribute information. Written information.

Then again, I have never fully bought into the “chilling effect” nonsense that some try to read into the first amendment, either.

It seems to me that this is a specific investigation that both administrations must have deemed necessary.

It also doesn’t seem directed at the website but at commenters… Are we the press? Are we protected as press?

We have long known that if someone threatens to kill the President or something the FBI or someone will want to look at the IP address of the threatener.

Soooo…. it is easy to be paranoid about an administration so tyrannical as this one…

I don’t find myself as alarmed over this as I am over the threats they make to Fox’s guests and the attempt to get other news organization to help them silence their critics.

I am assuming… (maybe naively) that the laws were probably followed in this subpoena.

For some odd reason, I didn’t assume first it was to protect the American people at large nor some Joe Citizen.

Nice work!

No matter who’s appointee, this further demonstrates that all gov’t by inherent nature eases towards the slirrery slope of tyranny. It is why we HAD checks and balances in our system to ensure the people the final arbiters of power.

While I ma heartily in favor of pursuing our enemies with extreme prejudice, it is with the proviso only our enemies that deserve such focus. My favorite line of Rumsfeld (whom I detest) was “the idea is not change the way we live, but to make the enemy change the way he does.” Then subsequently the Bush administration went and did precisely the opposite, putting in place many tools for our own repression, tools the Obama administration has kept in place.

One need merely point out how the RICO laws, meant only as an extreme measure to be used against ultra-violent organized crime, now used common place against far more mundane offenders. DA’s whose entire carreer’s rides only upon the chariot of how many they can convict regardless of guilt, has encouraged perversion of justice in pursuit of padded resumes.

Or how local PD’s can confiscate assets of the “suspected”, even after later found innocent, with proceeds to go to the Dept’s themselves or various Fraternal Order Org’s. If one realy wishes to visit how short a ride we are already to a corrupt Police State, one need only read CATO’s Balko report.

( I was going to link to the Balko report, but my explorer froze.)

The various forms and intentions why may shift with the ideological pendulum and party pet causes, but the expansion of Gov’t has continued apace for the better part of the last 100yrs. This has been true of all branches, executive, legislative and judicial. It is somewhat doubtful to me if this can any longer be reversed, the proverbial barn door after the horse has already bolted.
But daily now my belief that, if possible, will not be accomplished solely by peaceful means.

I am not encouraging extremist action by simply stating a beleif, but nor am I embracing delusion by denying what is cleary, to me, most evident. The precedent set by G.Washington of walking away from power has not oft been repeated, and less likely to occur with this cast of clowns.

I myself continue the fight to retain our liberties as best I am able from here till 1/20/13. But if the hand-writing upon the wall now is not replaced with more appealing text, to paraphrase Yoda, then it is Galt that I shall go, hmmm.

Clearly, the Obama Campaign simply wants to make sure that its donor records are complete. Bank account and credit card numbers are just to facilitate the donation process.

And let me be clear. I don’t think any administration should be subpoenaing records like this or issuing gag orders (or National Security Letters, which were

Bleeds Blue 343 on November 10, 2009 at 11:28 AM

And also staunchly defended by the O’bama Administration.

http://www.worldcantwait.net/index.php/home-mainmenu-289/5940-obama-administration-defends-secrecy-of-national-security-letters

Now, about your “hypothesis” telling us how Bush could have prevented the 9/11 attacks…how’s that coming along?

Jimbo3 on November 10, 2009 at 1:51 PM

Like, yeah, dude. Them goalposts won’t move themselves & that chicken looks a little worn out, if you get my drift.

I thought Obama’s grades, transcripts, and records were sealed? How did you know his IQ was below room temp? LOL
capejasmine on November 10, 2009 at 2:00 PM

The only alternative is that he is way too shy and unassuming to let the world know how gosh-darned smart he REALLY is.

Seriously though, when somebody goes to these extraordinary lengths to hide his background; it’s safe to assume he is doing it because he has something to hide.

Bozo sends out goon squads to attack anyone who doesn’t agree with him.

I mean that I doubt an investigation went from 0 to subpoenas in three days

Bleeds Blue on November 10, 2009 at 11:07 AM

They can go from investigation to subpoena to warrant IN THIRTY MINUTES. Or much longer, if you’re a muslim fanatic terrorist in the military.

Obvious to anyone with an IQ over room temp which excludes you.

Blake on November 10, 2009 at 11:38 AM

I thought Obama’s grades, transcripts, and records were sealed? How did you know his IQ was below room temp? LOL

Then, when the liberals try to censor Hotair the same way, guess what? A precident has been set. The ten-thousand-and-first Unofficial Constitutional Amendment has been officially signed and ratified with all five required votes.

They started on this path decades ago. Why is everyone constantly surprised each time they take another step?

Dude. The subpoena was issued by a Bush appointee.

The investigation is probably still ongoing, hence the Administration’s silence.

Bleeds Blue on November 10, 2009 at 11:07 AM

Are you sure it wasn’t a Clinton appointee?

“About the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office

With nearly 900 attorneys, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office is the second largest prosecutor’s office in the nation, second only to Los Angeles County. The Assistant State’s Attorneys in the Office prosecute all misdemeanor and felony crimes committed in Cook County, one of the largest counties in the nation encompassing nearly 1,000 square miles.”

Here is the specific question you asked:

“How many prosecutors do you know who are Democrats?”

I answered that question.

Yoop on November 10, 2009 at 1:44 PM

–Actually, you didn’t. You answered it for an Attorney General, a candidate for Prosecuting Attorney and an Attorney General, as well as a former prosecutor. There are tens or hundreds of lawyers acting as prosecutors in most states and cities. See, for instance: http://www.statesattorney.org/index2/about_the_office.html.