Judy Is Free! (Too bad she's still horrid)

The Good News is that Fitzgerald is by all accounts likely close to the end of his investigation, and, if the rumors are right, Rove will be joining DeLay and Frist in the "I am Not a Crook" chorus. The bad news is Judith Miller is free again. OK, so that's unfair. Miller never belonged in jail. But didn't you feel safer in one sense while she was?

Comments

[hrc]

bet you a bottle of good Washington state wine against a vintage from your state that Rove doesn't get indicted.

[Frank]

I have to disagree with you here Edward. I think pushing administration lies about WMD as truth and helping to sell the war on Iraq clearly made her deserve jail time. I wish she had stayed in till she rotted.

[Anarch]

And Scooter Libby is supposed to be her source. May we live in interesting times, indeed.

[John Thullen]

So, the question is, what is the leverage the Bush Administration used to maintain a compliant media, the most egregious, jailed example being Miller?

How deeply and malignly corrupt is this?

I say it's worse than Nixon, but not quite approaching Pol Pot.

[Jackmormon]

From Edward's source: "Judith Miller agreed to testify in the C.I.A. leak case after she obtained a waiver offered by her source, I. Lewis Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff."

Okay, who's up for the Kreminology?

[libbyspencer]

I know it's mean but it was kinda great not to have to read her drivel for the last three months. Let's not forget she's still a White House shill and I'm with hrc. I smell a rat. I have a bad feeling that the unholy trinity of Rove, Bush and Cheney are going to get away with it.
The Impolitic

[Jon H]

"I have a bad feeling that the unholy trinity of Rove, Bush and Cheney are going to get away with it."

Apparently, Fitzgerald was able to listen in on the phone calls between the parties made to negotiate Libby's release of Miller from her vow, so they didn't work something out that way.

[Doh]

She definitely belonged in jail. I think even there is/should be a reporter's privilege this would be a terrible case to allow it to be used (note: as far I know, and I may be wrong, no one has proposed an absolute reporters privilege-- it will always require a balancing and the balance here is clearly in favor of her testifying).

I'm wondering if she just went in to try and burnish her own image, and if it will work. I can't imagine this will really help anyone take her more seriously.

In the back of my head I wonder if she managed to get just enough concessions from Fitzpatrick not to have to say anything that would implicate herself in a crime (although not knowing what went on, I have no idea if there's even any crime she could plausibly have committed).

[cleek]

never been able to figure out the blogosphere's fascination with Miller. alas.

[Gary Farber]

"But didn't you feel safer in one sense while she was?"

No. I felt safer in a variety of ways. Not only was I less concerned about her finding new and similarly reliable reports of WMDs somewhereorother, and less concerned about her possibly cozying up to sources in gullible fashion, but I was less concerned that she might lurk in a nearby alley and mug me, and less concerned that I would be seeing her on tv, and less concerned that she might phone me up late and night, and sing to me, and less concerned that she might suddenly start a new craze for making paper dolls that sweeps the nation after Martha Stewart and Oprah push it, but I was less concerned that she might turn out to be Kodos in disguise.

Really, the possibilities are nigh-infinite as to how I felt safer with Judy Miller in lock-up.

Worrying is one of my more passable skills.

[liberal japonicus]

Really, the possibilities are nigh-infinite as to how I felt safer with Judy Miller in lock-up.

I want to first assure Gary that I'm not drawing any linkage between him and anyone else, but the whole reasoning behind being safer because we are locking people up could apply any number of current government policies (cf: Gitmo, war on crime, war on drugs)

[Anarch]

LJ: Given Gary's comment, I'd look more closely at that War on Drugs...

[Barry]

Gary, you haven't even started on the worrying. Imagine taking a shower, relaxed, unclothed, defenseless, .... when SUDDENLY THE SHOWER CURTAIN IS RIPPED BACK AND SHE'S STANDING THERE. At first you're expecting the 'Psycho' shower stabbing, but then she starts on the latest line of Administration/AEI propaganda about Iran, and you start hoping for a merciful stabbing.

[liberal japonicus]

when SUDDENLY THE SHOWER CURTAIN IS RIPPED BACK AND SHE'S STANDING THERE.

If you haven't checked it out, see Mel Brooks' take on this scene in _High Anxiety_. I guess you can really only do it with still pictures, but if you could get Miller in there a la Forrest Gump, and have her screaming 'Here's your paper!', that would be a keeper.

[Barry]

John Thullen:

"So, the question is, what is the leverage the Bush Administration used to maintain a compliant media, the most egregious, jailed example being Miller?

How deeply and malignly corrupt is this?

I say it's worse than Nixon, but not quite approaching Pol Pot."

Denial of access, which would really hurt for those whose journalistic skills are limited to taking dictation. In Judith's case, I'd add embarrassment over what are now revealed to be thin, easily disproven lies which she reported.

Presumably leverage with publishers, who recognize who can reward and punish. We're seeing a big shift from the Clinton years. Now, the political power of the executive is in line with the political power in Congress and the power of elite wealth.
That's got to be a nasty thing to fight.

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