Slashdot Mirror
CPJ Report: the Obama Administration and Press Freedoms
dryriver writes "Committee To Protect Journalists reports: U.S. President Barack Obama came into office pledging open government, but he has fallen short of his promise. Journalists and transparency advocates say the White House curbs routine disclosure of information and deploys its own media to evade scrutiny by the press. Aggressive prosecution of leakers of classified information and broad electronic surveillance programs deter government sources from speaking to journalists. In the Obama administration's Washington, government officials are increasingly afraid to talk to the press. Those suspected of discussing with reporters anything that the government has classified as secret are subject to investigation, including lie-detector tests and scrutiny of their telephone and e-mail records. An 'Insider Threat Program' being implemented in every government department requires all federal employees to help prevent unauthorized disclosures of information by monitoring the behavior of their colleagues. Six government employees, plus two contractors including Edward Snowden, have been subjects of felony criminal prosecutions since 2009 under the 1917 Espionage Act, accused of leaking classified information to the press—compared with a total of three such prosecutions in all previous U.S. administrations. Still more criminal investigations into leaks are under way. Reporters' phone logs and e-mails were secretly subpoenaed and seized by the Justice Department in two of the investigations, and a Fox News reporter was accused in an affidavit for one of those subpoenas of being 'an aider, abettor and/or conspirator' of an indicted leak defendant, exposing him to possible prosecution for doing his job as a journalist. In another leak case, a New York Times reporter has been ordered to testify against a defendant or go to jail."
How many people voted for Obama believing that he wouldn't use the executive powers expanded by the previous administration? How many were dumb enough to believe he'd actually try to roll them back?
Worse yet, how many are OK with their guy abusing his new authority?
According to the latest gallup poll 37% are just dandy with what Obama is doing. You can thank the Liberal press for being his lapdog while he bends them over without a reach-around.
The sad part is, if Obama ran for a 3rd term he would still win because he gets 98% of the Black vote, 99% of the Democrat vote and 85% of the women's vote. Once amnesty passes he'll also get 90% of the Hispanic vote. Nevermind that black unemployment is higher than its ever been, that the real war on women is being waged by Democrats via abortion (look up how man girls get aborted versus boys) and Obamacare (just wait for the premiums on 'women's issues' medical care and the fact spouses are being dropped like crazy from healthcare plans).
It's bizarro world right now, everything is backwards, upside down and inside out. Yet the press, like the drooling lapdogs they are keep towing the party line and not holding this disgusting pig of a president accountable. Liberals who so hated George Bush love Obama, who hasn't canceled or otherwise stopped a single one of Bush's policies and in fact has greatly expanded the surveillance state. In bizarro world it doesn't matter that Obama is exponetially worse than any president we have ever had. All that matters is that he has a D next to his name. Why else would this man get a Peace Prize?
Michelle Obama said that for the first time in her life she was proud of her country when Obama was elected. Well, ma'am, for the first time in my life I am ashamed of my country.
"The Libertarians" don't want to make people sick against their will. We know where peoples' rights stop.
In public, sure, no lighting things on fire and blowing them at us. Your rights end at your nose (and lungs).
However, restaurant and bar owners (should) choose if they want you as a customer or not, or prefer smokers. You don't have any right to visit my business.