The Bush Administration is taking a hard line against leaks now.  Well that is understandable I suppose.  Their Administration has lead to Washington leaking like a massive sucking chest wound.  In the end a thing like that has to sap your strength.  However I think the key issue is one of Patriots or Traitors?  The Administration seems to like the Traitors approach.  They've undertaken a campaign on investigation and threats against not only Federal Employees but journalists as well.  It's all being done under the guise of National Security but I'd propose a different version.  Perhaps it's because the people asked to partake or to have knowledge of these things know that they are wrong and in many cases illegal.

From: Washington Post

White House Trains Efforts on Media Leaks

Sources, Reporters Could Be Prosecuted

By Dan Eggen

Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 5, 2006; Page A01

The Bush administration, seeking to limit leaks of classified information, has launched initiatives targeting journalists and their possible government sources. The efforts include several FBI probes, a polygraph investigation inside the CIA and a warning from the Justice Department that reporters could be prosecuted under espionage laws.

In recent weeks, dozens of employees at the CIA, the National Security Agency and other intelligence agencies have been interviewed by agents from the FBI's Washington field office, who are investigating possible leaks that led to reports about secret CIA prisons and the NSA's warrantless domestic surveillance program, according to law enforcement and intelligence officials familiar with the two cases.

This Administration has time again shown little regard for Congress, the Constitution, or We the People.  It's a very dangerous thing and one that we should all be taking much more seriously than we are.  Even if you don't feel the Bush Administration will ever pose a significant risk to your liberty, you should still be taking action.  If nothing else, the Bush Presidency is setting dangerous new precedence in our Nation's history.  Liberty surrendered is never regained within the same system it was surrendered.  Don't take my word for it, go look at history.  It has never failed nor will it ever fail. 

I've consistently challenged people to go a read the Constitution as it sets out clearly the powers of the Federal Government.  If you haven't done so, you must.  We are so far today from where we are supposed to be.  You know something isn't right.  You know we are headed for serious problems in the future.  You know this Administration is robbing you of essential liberties.  If you don't then I can't encourage you enough to spend some more time researching the topic.

Anytime a President refers to the Constitution as a G.D. piece of paper that gets in his way, you should be alarmed.  Why is Washington leaking like the Titanic?  Because good Americans in Washington know they are being told to do things that are wrong.  Things that violate the Constitution and that are leading America astray.  From that comes the title, Patriots or Traitors in Washington?

Yes the Administration calls them Traitors and would/will prosecute them as such.  But I challenge that these are Patriots putting themselves in harms way to tell us what's going on;  To reveal the depth of the problem with this Administration.  No it doesn't stop there.  The next Administration will build on what this one has done.  Face it, they are more than willing to attack the First Amendment and have a history of doing so.  Take Cindy Sheehan for instance.  You don't have to like her, I personally thinks she's a bit off her rocker, but I will not dispute that she is within her rights to demand redress of her grievances via the First Amendment.  George fails to even recognize this right affirmed in the Constitution.  The entire concept of "free speech" zones flat out violates the Constitution.  The Patriot Act will compound this even further by making it a serious crime to do things outside "free speech" zones.  At the very least it makes it possible for this to occur.  Any law that makes it possible to violate the Bill of Rights deserves massive scrutiny.  Don't lose sight of the fact that the Patriot Act which was just to be used against terrorism has already been ruled to apply to any crime.

Federal Judges rule on E-mail

Magistrate Glazebrook said that in passing the Patriot Act, formally known as the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act, Congress made clear its focus was on terrorism. He said there was nothing in the language Congress adopted in the days after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that suggested the nationwide-search provision should apply to garden variety federal cases.

"The statutory language is clear and unambiguous in limiting district court authority to issue out-of-district warrants to investigations of terrorism, and that language controls this court's interpretation. The government has shown no legislative intent to the contrary," the magistrate wrote. He also noted that many of the examples given during legislative debate involved terrorism. The then chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Leahy, a Democrat of Vermont, described the nationwide-search language as applying in terrorism cases, the court noted.

Magistrate Glazebrook denied the search warrant, but it was recently disclosed that the government appealed to a federal judge, G. Kendall Sharp, who granted it without explanation.

This clearly demonstrates the problem with liberty being stripped away.  The problem with precedent.  The problem with not considering how something can be used even if it isn't intended to be that way.  It also demonstrates this Administrations determination to get its way, trounce on your liberty, and not give a damn what restraint righteous parts of the Government try to place on it.

It's time to get involved.  It's time to wake others up.  If you sit back and watch this one, you'll find yourself in a world of hurt.  Don't leave it up to Congress to do alone.  They are spineless and seem willing to whine pitifully but in the end do whatever this President demands.  It's sickening really.

No Courage on Capitol Hill

As you watch the powers of the domestic spying program expand, as you watch the racial tension in this country build, as you watch our power as the People wither, think on the words of Aristotle written on how to preserve tyranny.

Aristotle on how to preserve tyranny

A tyrant should also endeavor to know what each of his subjects says or does, and should employ spies, like the 'female detectives' at Syracuse, and the eavesdroppers whom Hiero was in the habit of sending to any place of resort or meeting; for the fear of informers prevents people from speaking their minds, and if they do, they are more easily found out. Another art of the tyrant is to sow quarrels among the citizens; friends should be embroiled with friends, the people with the notables, and the rich with one another. Also he should impoverish his subjects; he thus provides against the maintenance of a guard by the citizen and the people, having to keep hard at work, are prevented from conspiring.