Justice Dept's pursuit of AP's phone records is both extreme and dangerous...

[Ben]

Glenn Greenwald: The claimed legal basis for these actions is unknown, but the threats they pose to a free press and the newsgathering process are clear...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/14/justice-department-ap-phone-records-whistleblowers

[fivekatz]

The legal basis I would assume is the Patriot Act which was perhaps the worst piece of legislation ever passed. It gave ridiculous latitude to the Administrative branch in pursuit of "terrorists".

It is dangerous.

[hippifried]

Glenn Greenwald: The claimed legal basis for these actions is unknown, but the threats they pose to a free press and the newsgathering process are clear...

The "legal basis" has always been there. This wasn't a "whistle blower" case. It wasn't some political scandal, or anything political at all. This is a case of espionage they're trying to track down. This deep leak blew the cover on an operation that had already handed the CIA a highly sophisticated update version of the underwear bomb for analysis, & was going after the master bomb maker. AP isn't the target. They're just mindless profiteers, even though they endangered lives & have most likely left a trail of bodies with their careless disregard. The press isn't sacrosanct, but their freedoms aren't under attack anyway.

If Glen Greenwald didn't know what this was about, then he's either stupid or too lazy to do his homework. If he knew, then his statement is a lie. Either way, he's a hack.

[trish]

There was no need to gather information so broadly; they should've just asked Cheney if he blew the cover of yet another agent.

[Ben]

Memo to GOP: Don’t Pretend You Care:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/05/17/memo-to-gop-don-t-pretend-you-care.html

Some question whether AP leak on al-Qaeda plot put U.S. at risk:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/some-question-whether-ap-leak-on-al-qaeda-plot-put-us-at-risk/2013/05/15/47003ed4-bd77-11e2-89c9-3be8095fe767_story.html