The grand jury was going, and reporters were being jailed, and I hunkered down more than I usually do, |
The issue is not the plan. The issue is the decision, |
The net to readers, |
the protection of a confidential source, and aggressive reporting, and they do go hand in hand. |
The terms of engagement change when a reporter and reporters are being subpoenaed, agreeing to testify, being forced to testify, being jailed. That's the new element in this. And what it did, it caused me to become even more secretive about sources, and to protect them. I couldn't do my job if I couldn't protect them. And to really make sure that I don't become part of this process, but not to be less aggressive in reporting the news. |
There's a great tradition in the White House, if you don't like the story, you denounce the reporter. |
They rise to this office. They want a big-time presidency. |
This is the old crowd kind of re-launching the wars of Watergate, and saying let's make the conduct of the sources we used the issue, rather then their own. The record of Watergate crimes is staggering, voluminous and irrefutable |
Ultimately I think journalism gets measured by the quality of information it presents, not the drama or the pyrotechnics associated with us, but, is it good news quality information that defines who somebody is? |
was going to be dragged into this. |
Was there some sort of conspiracy, or organized effort, or effort by one person to out, to disclose publicly that Joe Wilson's wife was an undercover operative? |
Watergate was an expression of Nixon's world view, personality and value system. |
We protected Mark Felt for 33 years. |
we won't know. We'll all be dead. |
would only guide us and steer us. And when we would find out something, he would confirm it. |