The New York Times: Republican Witch Hunt Victim and Campaign Rallying Point

The utterly dishonest and incredibly vicious attacks on The New York Times for publishing "classified" data have one motive and one motive only: to stir up the so-called Republican base into a lather of hatred just in time for the 2006 election. This editorial from The Progressive Daily Beacon sums it up nicely:

None of this chest-thumping and bluster is because Bush, Cheney, and Republicans truly believe national security has been compromised. Shortly after 911, Bush and Cheney told the world on several television programs that the government would begin tracking terrorist finances. More than that, according to CNN, an outline of the SWIFT program has been posted on the UN website for quite awhile. Should Bush and Cheney be rebuked in Congress or, as one FOX News "expert" said of the NY Times, shot for treason? No, of course, not! This is just more Bush and Republican election-year scheming.

Think about it: It is election year 2006. The Republicans and Bush have offered up their Gay Hate Amendment. Then they participated in a fake debate on Iraq in the Senate, so they could stand around calling Democrats silly names who, by the way, offered up a plan for Iraq that had later been -- more than less -- endorsed by Bush's very own, General Casey. Once the Republicans completed that exercise in absurdity, Bush and Alberto Gonzales arrested seven "terror" suspects in Miami. "Terrorists" who didn't possess a single bomb, no bomb making material, not one gun, and had no ties to al-Qaeda. The Miami terror-scare-seven were supposedly "homegrown Islamic terrorists" who, as it turns out, get their inspiration from the BIBLE. Finally, in election-year '06 Republicans carted out the old Flag-Burning Amendment. Notice a trend here? Well, it is simply more of the same regarding the New York Times.

Amen. This is utterly predictable right wing demagoguery. One of my constant themes on this blog has been the total lack of scruples and standards of decency in Republican campaigns. This latest farce is simply an excuse for the lunatic, radical right that runs America to try to intimidate and silence anyone who disagrees with them.

Stand up for press freedom. Stand up for the First Amendment. And dammit, stand with The New York Times on this one. They've got a lot of faults, but this story isn't one of them.