Obama More Aggressive Than Bush In Targeting Whistleblowers

New York Times:

WASHINGTON -- Hired in 2001 by the National Security Agency to help it catch up with the e-mail and cellphone revolution, Thomas A. Drake became convinced that the government's eavesdroppers were squandering hundreds of millions of dollars on failed programs while ignoring a promising alternative.

...

The indictment of Mr. Drake was the latest evidence that the Obama administration is proving more aggressive than the Bush administration in seeking to punish unauthorized leaks to the press.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[llivinginthemoment]

11:31 AM on 06/22/2010

http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2010/06/intel_leak.html

Federation of American Scientists says that leak investigations under Obama and prosecutions are a record number. More than any other previous administration-- even the Bush administration.

At the end of the day, there would have been no revelations about the NSA program by the New York Times or lying about WMD either-- if Obama was president at the time. Why? Because whistleblowers would be frightened of criminal prosecution. Is this what Obama really had in mind?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/us/16nsa.html

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/09/what-did-bush-tell-gonzales/7064/
http://www.theatlantic.com/murray-waas/

[Michael Samra]

05:29 AM on 06/15/2010

Now I know what the big picture signs of GWB mean when he says,MISS ME YET????
I for one would much rather have GWB than BHO as I am sure others would at this point.

[lendiggy]

05:20 PM on 06/17/2010

It was better to have GWB that Obama because liberals were outraged about this kind of thing under Bush. Now they look the other way because it's Obama.The controlled "left" and the controlled "right" care more about the "team" than standing for an ideology that is unchanged from election to election. So, please, bring back Bush so that the left can care again!!!

[William Barry Leslie]

07:16 PM on 06/14/2010

On the night of the last inauguration I become as depressed as I’d been in many years. It wasn’t Obama’s election that depressed me. I thought he wasn’t that great, just marginally the best choice of a dismal field & I’d wait & see. Edwards or Kucinich would have been uplifting choices to me, I knew for quite awhile that wasn’t about to happen. What depressed me greatly was the wild, unjustified cheering & enthusiasm of the crowds that were gathered. I couldn’t help but think that Bush II once had a 90% approval rating. I’d like to know how loud Obama’s inaugural crowd would cheer for him today?

[JTHC75]

03:12 PM on 06/14/2010

The problem with this Admin isn't that it's too liberal or too conservative, but that it's too statist.

[Atmus]

12:19 PM on 06/14/2010

Did any of you actually read the article?

And not the snippet?

[cslib]

10:36 AM on 06/14/2010

I wish I could say I was surprised.

[2garen]

07:28 AM on 06/14/2010

investigate this

[AndyatHP]

06:39 PM on 06/13/2010

Some would say that this guy is a :


whistleblower
n.
(1) One who reveals wrongdoing within an organization to the public or to those in positions of authority.
(2) An informant who exposes wrongdoing within an organization in the hope of stopping it.

I would say that he is a :

crim·i·nal
1. Of, involving, or having the nature of crime: criminal abuse.
2. Relating to the administration of penal law.
3.
a. Guilty of crime.
b. Characteristic of a criminal.
4. Shameful; disgraceful: a criminal waste of talent.
n.
One that has committed or been legally convicted of a crime.


if you are attempting to bring wrongdoing into view, you cannot do so by divulging classified information to the public. THAT is against the law. Thats like sating that I think the Fed Gov is lying about te budget. therefore, I break into their computers to show the mistakes to the public. The result: Go to jail, go stright to jail. Two wrongs dont make a right.

[Drjimmy72296]

07:21 PM on 06/13/2010

Much better if we didn't know about the NSA's illegal spying on US citizens. Right?

[Danish5666]

06:07 PM on 06/13/2010

Transparency..anyone..

[wizzardly]

02:20 PM on 06/13/2010

Holder and Co. are really a#$backward. Prosecute in some cases of people trying to get someone to listen to what is wrong with government, but lets treat terrorists with kid gloves. In Holders case he pardoned Terroists under Clinton. Doesn't prosecute Black Panthers for voter intimidation. Doesn't go after ACORN for voter fraud. This administration is in shambles philosophically.

[tacevad]

05:32 PM on 06/13/2010

you lost me with ACORN,go back to faux news to peddle that particular line of baloney

[massjim]

11:26 AM on 06/14/2010

Yes, dropping that voter intimidation case was unbelievable. Obama & Holder lost me on that one.

[Aurical]

01:09 PM on 06/13/2010

Chief Wiggum from The Simpsons was tougher on whistleblowers than Bush!

[Katrina Taylor]

12:52 PM on 06/13/2010

People, "whistleblowers" and "leakers" are diametrically opposite positions.

[mikefina]

12:57 PM on 06/13/2010

Yeah. So are to-MAY-to and to-MAH-to, to sycophantic apologists for this abusive administration

[jmml]

01:19 PM on 06/13/2010

Black and white are diametrically opposite. Whistleblower and leaker are not.

[toosinbeymen]

11:53 AM on 06/13/2010

This is the guy that promised a transparent administration. His words, while pretty, aren't worth jack.

[justwaitandsee]

12:23 PM on 06/13/2010

What are you talking about...

[jmml]

01:19 PM on 06/13/2010

I'm guessing he's talking about the information in the article that's linked to on this page. Just a guess, though.

[MetalCanuck]

10:03 AM on 06/13/2010

How pathetic the people here who are making excuses for Obama, he is acting the same as Bush..if not worst.

[justwaitandsee]

12:28 PM on 06/13/2010

No actually, what they are doing is looking at what is a leakier compare to what whistleblower. And if you are having trouble with the definition... A Whistleblower, is the one who tells of corruption, a leakier is someone provide information to press for no apparent reason but to under-mind the President and why so many leakier under this administration, should be something more closely looked at...

You might try reading with an objective perspective instead of a premeditated conclusion...

[Drjimmy72296]

03:20 PM on 06/13/2010

How is Drake not a whistleblower?

[MetalCanuck]

04:20 PM on 06/13/2010

HE IS A WHISTLE BLOWER!

You are making excuses.

[Trueheart]

09:09 AM on 06/13/2010

Well, I guess the young woman who blew the whistle on the Arlington National Cemetary and got fired should be prosecuted? Hardly.