Boehner taped call case continues...
Earlier this year, a federal appeals court ordered Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., to pay West Chester Republican Rep. John Boehner $700,000 for leaking an illegally taped phone conversation between Boehner and then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich to the media.Read the Enquirer's March 29 story on the case here.
Now, McDermott is appealing the case. And Democrats are trying to help him raise money. The liberal Campaign for America's Future just sent out an e-mail asking people to contribute money to McDermott's legal defense fund.
The e-mail starts like this: "As part of our continuing work to confront Congressional corruption, we're reaching out today to support a progressive champion -- Rep. Jim McDermott -- who House Majority Leader, John Boehner, has attacked as a payback for successfully exposing and punishing Republican corruption. Please help counter Boehner's attack, and continue to fuel the fight against corruption in Congress by contributing today to the Legal Expense Trust of progressive champion, Rep. Jim McDermott."
The e-mail continues: "If not reversed, this judgment will set an ominous precedent that will impede the flow of information on Congressional corruption to the press. Throughout this long ordeal, Rep. McDermott has been fighting to protect first amendment rights. ... Congressman McDermott had no choice but to appeal this decision, and he has. It will be costly. Please contribute today to help defend progressive champion, Rep. Jim McDermott, and support his historic fight against Republican corruption."
Lawyers for 18 news organizations - including ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, the Associated Press, the New York Times and the Washington Post - filed a brief in federal court backing McDermott.
What do you think?
Should McDermott be punished for leaking the call - or does Boehner's lawsuit chill first amendment rights of the media to expose corruption?
Tell us.
33 Comments:
at 3:40 PM, May 09, 2006 
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Post a Comment*The same news organizations championing McDermott's leak are highly critical of the CIA leaks of Valerie Plame's identity. Yet they celebrate the leak of the Administration's plans to spy on terrorists.
I guess it all depends on who the victim is. If it's a Republican Congressman, it's a great day for the First Amendment. If it's terrorists or Administration critics, then it's a tragedy worth of jail time.
More desperate right wing-nuts attempting to justify an illegal program which treats our Constitution like a doormat while their power slips away.
Bush make Nixon look like an angel. He should be impeached and imprisoned.
RVGIV
But I do understand why the Left has given up their souls for lies: the hunger for power.
What power? Repubs have the White House, both houses of Congress, the Supreme Court, Fox, Limbaugh, the Enquirer, etc.
As for for all the terrific intelligence-gathering from listening in on our phone calls, how come there haven't been successful prosecutions? If you want to hand over your civil liberties, be my guest. But don't offer mine up.
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It is absolute free speech.
The conversation was transmitted through an unsecured line. The call was received over open air ways.
The conversation was such that corruption had to be exposed.
The (R)wrong wing will always attempt to suppress free speech and the Enqueer wrong wing rag will use that same free speech to slant their liberal support for the crooked cronies.
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A private wiretap is illegal. Perhaps we should all wiretap our local democratic politicians...I'm sure those news organizations and the Campaign for America's Future (ha) would back us up.
More background, analysis, useful links at DailyKos.
BTW, the McDermott leak and the Valerie Plame leak are entirely different cases and have nothing in common except both were leaks.
However, regarding the Plame case, I question whether the Bush apologists here would have been so forgiving to the administration if the leak happened during the Clinton administration.
In any event, Karl Rove may soon be indicted so we all may learn more soon.
What power? Repubs have the White House, both houses of Congress, the Supreme Court, Fox, Limbaugh, the Enquirer, etc.
The familar claim from the far right that they are under attack, even when they are undeniably in charge, is not about politic control, but emotional control. No matter how much political power they acquire, it doesn't change their perspective. They consider themselves to be a persecuted minority. Disagree about a political point gets you called a "moonbat" or that you're wearing a "tinfoil hat." That simply shuts down discussion, which appears to be the idea. Again, it's about maintaining control, not about debate. Limiting discussion is, of course, just another form of control. But what's the fear of simply accepting that other people may have completely different opinions from your own? Loss of perceived control.
We've all had the frustrating experience of trying to have a reasoned argument with a Bush true believer. It doesn't matter what the facts are because they are emotionally committed to the perceived message.
We've witnessed an administartion that thrives on secrecy and control. (In fact, we may now be witnessing the end of the far right political experiment in late 20th century America.) As the administration unravels, I anticipate the 30% (and shrinking) diehards will continue to repeat the same messages, but will eventually dwindle until those that remain will pine for the "great days" before Karl Rove was indicted by "leftists."
McDermott is a crooked snake that needs to be brought to justice. he should be breakign big rocks into little rocks.
The same laws that protect John Boehner, and the laws that McDermott broke, are the same laws that are in place protecting the press when they make confidential phone calls all over the world.
How would the press respond if one of their conversations was illegally taped and then exploited?
Would they all say, "We defend this person who illegally taped our conversations, and we do not think he should be punished."
That's what "progressive" media gets you.
I question whether the posters criticizing Jim McDermott ever heard of him before today, yet they quickly fall into lockstep, turning him into the anti-Christ.
I lived in the Northwest when he entered politics and found McDermott to be remarkably intelligent and articulate. Do a little research and you'll find that Mr. McDermott is an unlikely politician. He's a physician and a voice for what used to be considered moderate liberalism. He's a principled advocate for protecting social security, health care reform and other "moonbat" ideas. But for some, that demonizes him and they express themselves by passing pointless insults, ignoring facts, or shouting down reasonable discussion.
Now that the political tide in our country is finally moving away from the hysteria of the hard right - which has almost nothing in common with traditional conservatism - reasonable people are refusing to be quiet and go away. As for the Bush true believers, it may be a rude awakening when they realize the playing field has shifted.
Huh?? How can democrats even consider getting behind this guy. Aren't they the ones accusing Bush of illegal wire tapping the terrorists?? I guess it is OK to wiretap and illegally record an AMERICAN CONGRESSMAN !!! but not an illegal terrorist!!!
Anon 11:34- I can't speak for everyone on this blog, but I have been aware of Mr. McDermott for quite some time. He "moderately" and "reasonably" went to Baghdad in a show of support for Saddam Hussein right before we went to war with him.
This is a fact you cannot ignore. Its relevance cannot be questioned, since you are the one who brought up his long-term record.
A private wiretap is illegal.
Perhaps you should inform the bush administration !
Know nothing Nathan !
You apparently are clueless and full of Schmidt !
Answer this after you actually learn something about the case:
How was the call received ?
What type of phone was boner using, was it a cell ?
Are cellular transmissions not airwaves ?
Is it not possible for baby monitors to intercept airwaves ?
Everyone knows email, cell calls are not secure or private.
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went to Baghdad in a show of support for Saddam Hussein right before we went to war
Your full of Schmidt point ?
Our government groomed and blessed Saddam initially for Oil !
There were no WMD !
We should not have went to war !
It just so happens that, the U.S. V.P.'s (chachingy's) former employer has reaped the most benefit of scaming the taxper for war profits !
Our country can abort a soilder on the battlefield and sing god bless america in spanish !
We can mame our children, in the name of war, and then place them on the road of poverty with social security benefits !
How Honorable ?
At least McDermit exposed the culture of corruption !
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I anticipate the 30% (and shrinking) diehards will continue to repeat the same messages, but will eventually dwindle until those that remain will pine for the "great days" before Karl Rove was indicted by "leftists."
Well said as I hear the (R)wrong wing heals clicking in support of yet another historical war criminal !
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He "moderately" and "reasonably" went to Baghdad in a show of support for Saddam Hussein right before we went to war with him.
Not surprisingly, this allegation is a mischaraterization. Note that the poster supplies no documentation to support it.
In fact, McDermott and three other Democrats went to Baghdad not "in a show of support for Saddam," but in an attempt to avert the pending war.
McDermott retreated from a remark he made in Baghdad that charged President Bush would "mislead the American public" to earn support for military action. "I perhaps overstated my case," McDermott said.
As history has shown us, McDermott's apology, not his attempts at diplomacy, was premature.
went to Baghdad in a show of support for Saddam Hussein right before we went to war
Your full of Schmidt point ?
Our government groomed and blessed Saddam initially for Oil !
There were no W.M.D. !
We should not have went to war !
It just so happens that this countries V.P.'s former employer has reaped the most benefit of scaming the taxper for war profits !
We can abort a soilder on the battlefield and sing god bless america in spanish !
We can mame our children, in the name of war, and then place them on the road of poverty with social security benefits !
How Honorable ?
At least McDermit exposed the culture of corruption !
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Emma said "this is about defusing live bombs in cargo shipments."
Well Emma, you sure are able to shoot the rhetoric out of your backside but you are do short of facts that you are a laughingstock.
How about those live bombs on containers? What has your high and might administration done to increase security at our ports? NOTHING. NADA. ZIP. ZERO.
5% of containers are inspected Emma, and until this very month port workers didn't eve have to have a background check. The Dems put an end to that Emma. Your administration has used 9/11 has a political instrument, and they have not done anything to make us safer. They disseminated FEMA, so don't count on any help from your federal government in the event that a disaster does happen.
Please go back to flossing you teeth, cleaning your table tops, hanging pictures and caring for what hair you have left Emma.
RVGIV
I am effing sick & tired of reich-wingnutz ignorantly commenting on a story which began in DEC 1997 and which the Spinquirer "forgets." If anyone is remotely interested in the background of this case, link here - (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/congress/january97/cellular_1-14.html)
This call was NOT wiretapped; it was accidentally
picked up on their scanner by a Florida couple driving near John Boehner's parked car on the Gulf coast. Boehner was discussing Newt Gingrich's being investigated by the House Ethics Committee, in a cell phone conference call with - get this - Tom DeLay, Dick Armey, Bill Paxon and Newt himself. They recorded the later part of the call, and hearing something fishy, turned the tape over to FL Rep. Karen Thompson, who advised them to get the tape to Rep. Jim McDermott, at the time the ranking member of the Ethics Committee, for further investigation. Who might have leaked it to the NYT hasn't ever been determined, IIRC. So, wingers, read a thorough backgrounder before you make even bigger fools of yourselves...This couple heard unethical, perhaps illegal activity (obstructing justice?), and as ANY good citizen would do (except the kool-aid-drinking far right)
contacted authorities. At the time, many scanners could pick up cell phone calls, so the question of privacy was probably not pertinent.
McDermott got exactly what he deserved. It's interesting that the left-wing fringe in this country oppose the legal and necessary NSA Terrorist Surveillance Program. At the same time, the leftists champion the actions of the Florida couple who illegally taped Boehner's phone call [and support McDermott's subsequent illegal actions as well].
According to left wing democrats, it's not OK for the NSA to monitor the phone calls of terrorists, but it's OK to record and disseminate private phone calls of American citizens [as long as the persons doing the recording are democrats like the couple in Florida]. Only the truly left-wing nutjobs out there can support McDermott's actions while opposing the NSA program to monitor terrorist communications.
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They may not be "secure" but they certainly do have privacy protection under the law.
There is no such thing as a right to privacy when you are communicating in the public domain !
The airwaves are public domain.
Courts have held that anyone using email knows that they are not secure or private.
And if everyone knows that these things aren't private, then why are Democrats fighting so hard to kill the Patriot Act?
The Patriot Act strips citizens of their constitutional rights.
It would appear someone opened the gates on the heal clicking (R) wrong wing nuts !
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From today's USA Today:
The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the arrangement told USA TODAY.
The NSA program reaches into homes and businesses across the nation by amassing information about the calls of ordinary Americans — most of whom aren't suspected of any crime. This program does not involve the NSA listening to or recording conversations. But the spy agency is using the data to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist activity, sources said in separate interviews.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: The NSA record collection program
"It's the largest database ever assembled in the world," said one person, who, like the others who agreed to talk about the NSA's activities, declined to be identified by name or affiliation. The agency's goal is "to create a database of every call ever made" within the nation's borders, this person added.
Feel safer from "terrorists?"
Emma,
Your ignorance is so sad.
Republican mouth peices like O'reilly & Rush were screaming their heads off about the Dubai deal. Bush's own party, house & senate republicans, abandoned him and put a halt to the deal. The Dems largely stood back and let the repug's fight amongst themselves.
I am so glad that the Abu Gharib photos came out. they exposed our government to be a bunch of hypocrites, violating international laws, and our principles as a nation by allowing sadistic torture of prisoners. Most of the prisoners ended up being released because they did nothing wrong.
But I guess that ignorance is bliss, eh Emma?
If that is true then you must be truly miserable today Emma after the story was uncovered about the Feds gathering the phone records of tens of millions of average Americans.
God save America indeed Emma. God save of from George Bush, from Dick Cheney, from Rumsfeld, but most of all Emma God save America from ignorant people like you.
Needless to point out, the NSA wiretap story has exploded.
Back to topic, Jim McDermott is appealing the recent court ruling against him.
Emma"s a (R)wrong wing nut ignorant of the facts.
I would say she has no college education because she exhibits a GED or drop-out mentality.
Perhaps, she believes God meant for the top one percent of Americans should control 80% of the wealth ?
Perhaps, she beleives we should all be servents to the one percent because God has granted them the authority ?
Well, Emma, remove the plank from your eye and feed the fatherless child not the bank accounts of the (R)wrong wing nuts !
Corporations avoid their responsibility to the nation with 0 taxes while we give 10 percent to the church to teach us to be submissive !
Sorry, I once was blind but now I see !
How can we cut funding to education, wick, head start, social services to feed an oil war that aborts our service men ?
The administration cut head start as a political ploy against the Kennedy family, just like they shut out that southgate bush pioneer for geting caught providing free plane rides for the bush family. They left hin in the rain to hang with hinself. They have left the children of our nation hanging as well !
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Gingrich was a lying S.O.B.
That's what McDermott's leak proved. PROVED. Newt took one position publicly while doing the exact opposite in private. You can find details in Google, altho you'll look in vain in that Enquirer story.
Republicans are Liars. McDermott's sin was to prove it.
And the Wingnuts whine about whether leaking is an issue. Leaking is trivial next to a United States Congressman being a LIAR.
WMD's, extent of NSA wiretaps, Good Job Brownie, etc., etc., etc., LIARS, LIARS, LIARS!!!!
I think that 'Emma' is a senile old bag of gas.
"What that handful of soldiers did was hazing, certainly not torture" Maybe we should just call them 'Freedom Tickles' Emma? I hope that somebody hazes you in the same manner Emma. Maybe I'll come over ti Illinois and do it myself. Let's see how gungho you are for 'hazing 'then.
We aren't a nation of torturers, we just have a government full of torturers. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rove and other Pentagon leaders should be in prison. They are a disgrace to our nation.
So are you Emma.
Collecting everyone's Phone Bill is a GREAT tool, a SERIOUS tool, the kind of Weapon Against Terror that you use when you are SERIOUS about PROTECTING AMERICA.
Emma you are a wacko (R)wrong wing nut !
You have learned nothing from history. Your heal clicking go ahead search me, tap me, I've got nothing to hide was the mentality in Germany, unless you were Jewish !
You are sick.
If you think 3500 twin towers lives is worth giving up your liberties than you should have been on the Civil war battle field as 50,000 gave their life to give you the freedoms you abuse and relinquish !
Emma, you are an enemy of the state. You deserve to live in China because you want to import their form of government.
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Why do you assume the government doesn't eavesdrop on the press, too? It probably has for years. Haven't you heard about reporters being jailed and audited just to harass them and scare them off a story? Do you want the U.S. to give up its Free Press, too? What about Bob Ney ripping into the Newsweek reporter on the floor of Congress?
With as much support the Enqueer gives the (R)wrong wing nuts, they must be on webcam !
Yess-aa mr(R)party man weeeeees be goods nig** !
You don't need to tell the citizens of hamilton county about speech suppression, just look what the (R)wrong wing nuts tried to do to that truth site:
hcrp.info
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It's as clear on this board as it is on any board open to Liberal posters.
Emma-na, is it unsettling how you can't control the masses like your heal clicking leader from Germany ?
Thank you for posting as you reveal the radical w(R)ong wing slant on the truth !
You are so whacko, you make Manson look sane !
Emma-na, you are so full of schmidt !
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Why do you keep saying that I'm full of schmidt? Because I think that we should all do whatever the President says that we should? Well it's true! The problem you liberals is that you try to think for yourselves too much. If you just would do what President Bush and God want you to do we would all be better off.
God made Mr. Bush President, and he speaks to us through him. If you can't except that you are an atheist liberal and you are going to burn in hell!
Mr. Boehner should stop tapping peoples phones. Only President bush should be allowed to do that!
Praise the lord, Emma-Na !
Revelation is at the climax, it is so close !
I see the signs, a sheep in wolves clothing !
A burning Bush after willie fistherbottum !
A Bonner as head of the house !
Praise god, I'm comming, I'm comming, I'm comming !
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