Congressional hearings, now

In another place, another time, they would have been shot at dawn, hanged until dead or danced with Mr. Sparky. Now in the U.S.A., they get Pulitzer prizes.

Well, we’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: A people who cannot bring themselves to protect their own national security might be many things—an association, a special interest group, a gang. One thing they’re not is a country.

No, we’re not advocating capital punishment or even criminal charges, yet. But do we want to see how far this exposing of national security secrets might go? Do you think there’s anything The New York Times or Los Angeles Times at this point would withhold from publication anymore on the basis of national security concerns?

We don’t think so. It’s like the kid, finding out he’s able to snag one cookie, who goes on to empty the jar. Or the pornographer Rob Black of Extreme Associates, producers of unspeakably vile and degrading “adult” videos, who, in the face of years of government inaction, essentially dared prosecutors on national network television (60 Minutes, November 2003) to try to stop him. The sleaze merchants, of course, were trying to find out if there was a line too far to cross.

It’s time, we submit, to draw that line now for the sleaze merchants in the mainstream mediocracy who seem to be in a headlong race to sabotage their own country in wartime. Let’s show them this is a line too far to cross. And quickly. Immeasurable damage already has been done.

Congress needs to empanel hearings and investigate this shameful situation. The hate-Bush crowd in the enemedia are intoxicated by the knowledge that this White House can ill afford the PR cost of going after journalistas—which would then seem to confirm the canard that Bush, Cheney and the Patriot Act, etc., are anti-American. The legislative branch is going to have to carry the ball on this one.

God help us.