I discussed the media response to a crackdown on leaks of classified information in this previous post. The media somehow got it in their head all civilization would end of people stopped leaking secrets to the press, so the press could spin anti-Bush stories while tipping off the terrorists regarding what we are doing to detect and stop their attacks on us.

MSNBC joins the whiners in the media in a pathetically self absorbed piece which illustrates why the media is not in charge of national security (no matter how much it pretends otherwise). I want to focus on this statement first to illustrate why the media is simply self absorbed as opposed to digesting the reality that we are at war:

Since the September 11 attacks, the administration has vastly expanded the range of information deemed secret, ranging from the serious – such as the NSA spying programme – to the seemingly trivial. It has begun withholding, for instance, the names and telephone numbers of many government officials, making it more difficult for reporters and others to track down knowledgeable sources.

The reason names and numbers of people are being removed from open internet sources (you can get phone books and leads if you need to) is for these people’s safety. People in critical areas are exposed to extortion and other methods to gain critical information. If the media had two brain cells to rub together amongst the lot they would realize Al Qaeda is more than willing to kill us. So people in government, and moreso their families, are at risk of being forced to provide information.

This is not bean bag, and the terrorists seem totally capable of abducting and torturing family members to leverage a government employee. The media misses this obvious protection mechanism because it is in denial – it doesn’t believe we are at war and people are at risk. All they care about is how to get leaks and make earn a bonus or an award.

We need to dump this antiquated media. They have abused their power by leaking information (which is always correct) and spinning it as some policy disaster for Bush (which is always wrong). The end result of all these leaks are no crimes committed by anyone, but plenty of assistance to Al Qaeda. They lost the respect and credibility on Rathergate like boondoggles – and now they will pay the price of their own acts.