Dennis Hastert: "Loose Lips Kill Americans"
"Loose lips" kill Americans, top Republican says
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsar...src=rss&rpc=22
(Gold9472: Could it be that the Republican party is trying to paint an ugly picture for whistleblowers? Are they trying to set into the minds of the American people the idea that whistleblowing is bad? So that when someone comes forward, they are frowned upon? Rather Karl Rovish if you ask me.)
By Andy Sullivan
Wed Jun 28, 2006 6:31pm ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Declaring that "loose lips" kill Americans, a top congressional Republican leader said on Wednesday the House of Representatives would debate a resolution condemning the U.S. media for exposing details of secret intelligence programs.
The move heaps more criticism on The New York Times and other newspapers that reported last week on a secret program by the U.S. Treasury Department that monitors private bank records in an effort to track terrorist organizations.
"What we're talking about is people who are leaking classified information. It's not news. It's classified information our government is using to fight terrorists," said House Speaker Dennis Hastert, of Illinois.
"Loose lips kill American people," he added.
The nonbinding resolution, released later in the day, said the House "expects the cooperation of all news media organizations in protecting the lives of Americans and the capability of the government to identify, disrupt and capture terrorists by not disclosing classified intelligence programs such as the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program."
A floor vote is scheduled for Thursday, said a spokesman for House Majority Leader John Boehner.
News reports of the bank-monitoring program and a separate surveillance effort that monitors phone traffic without a court warrant have drawn criticism from President George W. Bush and other Republicans who say coverage of the programs undermines their effectiveness.
A New York Times spokeswoman was not immediately available for comment. The paper's executive editor has said the extraordinary reach of the bank-monitoring program "is a matter of public interest."
'TROOPS AT RISK'
Kentucky Republican Sen. Jim Bunning said on Fox News that those who wrote, published and leaked the story should be tried for treason.
"They have put all of our troops at risk and anyone who aids the enemy during a war and helps them should be held responsible," Bunning said.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, a Kansas Republican, has asked the administration for a formal assessment of any damage to the secret programs caused by news coverage.
New York Republican Rep. Peter King, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, has asked the Justice Department to investigate The New York Times. Arizona Republican Rep. J.D. Hayworth has demanded its reporters be stripped of their press passes, according to CQToday, a daily publication that covers Capitol Hill.
Lawmakers have no direct influence over press passes because they are administered by a group of reporters, not congressional officials.
Democrats said Republicans should not blame newspapers for holding the Bush administration accountable when Congress has failed to do so.
"We have had the last 5 1/2 years basically with no congressional oversight of anything," Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid told a news conference. "It's a little shortsighted to start attacking a newspaper."
Wisconsin Democratic Rep. David Obey said on the House floor that "both the Chinese Communist government and our own administration appear to be interested in doing almost anything in order to prevent legitimate news organizations from reporting activities on people who govern each country."
