Journalistic Integrity

Judge Orders Jail for N.Y. Times Reporter

WASHINGTON - A federal judge on Wednesday jailed New York Times reporter Judith Miller for refusing to divulge her source to a grand jury investigating the Bush administration's leak of an undercover CIA operative's name.

"There is still a realistic possibility that confinement might cause her to testify," U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan said.
Miller stood up, hugged her lawyer and was escorted from the courtroom.
Earlier, Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper, in an about-face, told Hogan that he would now cooperate with a federal prosecutor's investigation into the leak of the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame because his source gave him specific authority to discuss their conversation. "I am prepared to testify. I will comply" with the court's order, Cooper said.
Cooper took the podium in the court and told the judge, "Last night I hugged my son goodbye and told him it might be a long time before I see him again."
"I went to bed ready to accept the sanctions" for not testifying, Cooper said. But he told the judge that not long before his early afternoon appearance, he had received "in somewhat dramatic fashion" a direct personal communication from his source freeing him from his commitment to keep the source's identity secret.
As for Miller, unless she decides to talk, she will be held until the grand jury ends its work in October. The judge speculated that Miller's confinement might cause her source to give her a more specific waiver of confidentiality, as did Cooper's.
Cooper, talking to reporters afterward, called it "a sad time."
"My heart goes out to Judy. I told her as she left the court to stay strong," Cooper added. "I think this clearly points out the need for some kind of a national shield law. There is no federal shield law and that is why we find ourselves here today."
"Judy Miller made a commitment to her source and she's standing by it," New York Times executive editor Bill Keller told reporters.
"Judy Miller has not been accused of a crime or convicted of a crime," Abrams said. "She has been held in civil contempt of court."

Now you see, this article pissed me off more than I thought it would. I am proud of this woman for continuing to protect her source, it is only right of her as a journalist. It just makes me so fucking angry to see her jailed for doing it, she is simply following the journalistic code. I am just so surprised she is going to jail for this, it's fucking bullshit.

Come Pick Me Up

"We'd hit the bottom, I thought it was my fault and in a way I guess it was"

Oh deary me, what a fun 4th of July at the park. I cannot believe how not bad this weekend actually was, all on account of the early shift...it is a beautiful thing. Today we had a massive park BBQ at the maintenance shop. It was a day full of ribs, sausage, burgers, hot dogs, brownies, soda and macaroni salad....and of course cleaning bathrooms and directing traffic. We used our "lawnmower grill" to perfection, it cooked a mighty fine rib. Almost everyone from the park, except the lifeguards, came up to at least have a burger and hang around for a while in one of the bays. It was absolutely hilarious to see everyone just ripping into each other, laughing and basically talking for two hours. I realize now that our new park superintendent is a great person with a pretty good sense of humor about most things we say and do...which can be iffy sometimes. All the Rangers, maintenance guys, most of the office and the superintendent showed up to partake. Did we neglect our job for a few hours to just hang out and eat good food...yes, yes we did. I figure, if the superintendent is there...we can't get in trouble. It was just a damn good time had by all.

I think I am going to see fireworks tonight with a bunch of people, something I have not done in many years. I missed out last year with illness, the year before with the late shift and didn't even think of seeing them in the years before that. Loud exploding things make me happy, so it should be a good night indeed.

Good moods on days that are supposed to suck just make me smile way too much.

Song of The Day: Kalamazoo- Ben Folds