Earlier today, I said that the New York Times had chosen today to publish its NSA spy story so that the Iraqi elections would be relegated to the back page. There’s a second, non-mutually-exclusive explanation. From the National Review Online via The American Mind, here’s New York’s Senator Schumer speaking about the renewal of the Patriot Act:
I went to bed last night unsure of how to vote on this legislation…but today’s revelation that the government listened in on thousands of phone conversations without getting a warrant is shocking and has greatly influenced my vote. If this government will discard a law that has worked well for over 30 years without a wit of discussion or notice, then for sure we better be certain that we have safeguards on that government….Today’s revelation makes it crystal clear that we have to be very careful.
So the Times may have killed two birds with one stone.
and then there was Bill Clinton
That was exactly the intention of the NY Times.
They have a liberal agenda to upend conservative goals that the Bush Administration pursues.
It is interesting that the New York Times said it held the article for a year at the behest of the White House, because it wasn’t sure if it would damage national security. It seems Bush has hit back today at exactly that cover. I just wonder now if the White House has the gall to investigate the leak?