I was determined to take the whole weekend off from this bloody blog, so I let a Sunday blog swarm pass me by. Time to play catch up.
Background
Back in July, the New York Times decided to run a story on a “secret” government terrorist-fighting program. Through the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), a Belgium-based cooperative that serves as a clearinghouse for financial transactions, the United States tracks mostly overseas transactions to detect patterns of terrorist financing activities.
The NYT article acknowledged that SWIFT was legal, limited in scope, and successful in capturing terrorists.
The conservative blogosphere flipped out, with Michelle Malkin, LA Times critic Patterico, and others leading the charge. We all wondered why the paper decided to publish a story about a previously classified terrorist-fighting program, especially if it was legal and effective.
In Loose Lips, Sinking Ships, and the Fourth Estate, I listed a brief chronology of events, including links to subsequent articles and criticism. I appealed to the “bloggers as pamphleteers” idea and emphasized the importance of the constitutional protection of a free press. I support NYT’s right to free press and informing the public, but I did not support their decision to expose a classified government program.
It’s as if the NYT doesn’t understand or care that we are fighting a war — with an enemy who lurks in different countries and hides in holes like a rat — whether they believe it is a just war or not. The nature of a war against religious fanatics who live all over the globe, as opposed to a specific country or countries, is such that secret surveillance and covert financial tracking are a must. Lives are at stake — Americans abroad and at home.
Byron Calame
Byron Calame is the public editor at NYT, a sort of liaison between the paper and the readers. In July, he stuck by his decision to move forward with the defense of the published story and defended himself against criticism. Yesterday, he issued a “mea culpa.” Calame’s confession appears on the second page (?) of his column:
My July 2 column strongly supported The Times’s decision to publish its June 23 article on a once-secret banking-data surveillance program. After pondering for several months, I have decided I was off base. There were reasons to publish the controversial article, but they were slightly outweighed by two factors to which I gave too little emphasis. While it’s a close call now, as it was then, I don’t think the article should have been published.
There’s more. But first, Michelle has some choice words for Calame, and she wonders why the “mea culpa” didn’t appear on the front page of the paper. (More here) She wrote a column about the disclosure.
Here is the “more” and why Byron Calame should resign:
What kept me from seeing these matters more clearly earlier in what admittedly was a close call? I fear I allowed the vicious criticism of The Times by the Bush administration to trigger my instinctive affinity for the underdog and enduring faith in a free press — two traits that I warned readers about in my first column.
Translation: I hate George Bush so much that I could not fairly and objectively do my job. I hate George Bush more than I want to protect the American people and catch terrorists.
Mr. Calame, I doubt you read my little blog, but if you do, pay careful attention. You are a disgrace to your profession and anti-America to boot. The NYT is transparently leftist, but you at least had the wherewithal to publicly confess your error, although you were less than honest about why you erred. As defiant as you are, you probably won’t resign. But conservative bloggers are on the case.
Readers, if you feel strongly that Calame failed in his duties and displayed a shocking disregard for classified information and national security, tell him how you feel. Call him at (212) 556-7652 or e-mail him at public@nytimes.com.
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Bloggers: Captain Ed, Patterico (also calling for resignation), Squiggler, Riehl World View, The Anchoress, Power Line, Wizbang, Daily Pundit…
NY Times Published National Security Secrets To Get Back At the Bush Administration
We should be thankful that the New York Times decided to undermine the security of the United States in recognition of the hypersensitive fears of foreign opponents of the Bush administration.
Trackback by Webloggin — 10.23.06 @ 6:42 am
Why would you want Calame to resign for admitting an error? It is a rarity that should be encouraged. If he ever were to resign as a result of his turn-around, it would be seen as an effective left-wing page.
Comment by Weffie — 10.23.06 @ 6:52 am
NYT Blabbing Admission — We Were Wrong, But It Was Bush’s Fault
Michelle Malkin has excellent coverage of the New York Times’ ombudsman, Byron Calame’s admission that he got it wrong on publishing the banking data surveillance program. My July 2 column strongly supported The Times’s decision to publish its June …
Trackback by Wizbang — 10.23.06 @ 8:23 am
La Shawn:
I believe that the NY Times’s attutude goes beyond Bush-hating.
It is a visceral distaste for war of any kind. They feel threatened more by the idea of war than war itself. Somewhat like Euros attitude.
Comment by Frank Zavisca — 10.23.06 @ 8:24 am
As the Times continues to “downsize” during its circulation free fall, “Pinch” ratchets up his personal war on all things with which he disagrees.
The Times long ago stopped reporting the news and moved into presenting the news. They even dabble in creation and manufacture of the news.
This poor schlub is in such “good company” at the New York Times, there is no reason for him to resign. He stands an excellent chance of getting a Pulitzer for his mea culpa which he managed to bury at the bottom of a fluff and feathers column.
Fie on the lot of them.
Comment by Heliotrope — 10.23.06 @ 9:08 am
The Knucklehead of the Day award
Today’s winner is Byron Calame, The public editor of the New York Times.
Trackback by The Florida Masochist — 10.23.06 @ 9:14 am
I think the problem is that people like some of those at the NYT are moral relativists–they don’t see terrorists as evil, because the US is also, so it doesn’t matter that we have a nation to protect.
Comment by mj — 10.23.06 @ 9:42 am
It’s a good thing we didn’t have persons like him in WW II otherwise we would all be under control of the nazis because this left-wing liberal rag the NYTs and its leftists editors would have gave out our normandy plans or even midway.
Comment by BIRDZILLA — 10.23.06 @ 10:29 am
NYTimes Would Rather Ask for Forgiveness than Perm
Excuses, excuses, excuses. This is a pathetic attempt to ask for forgiveness since the Times didn’t ask for permission, but Mr. Calame should be aware of one thing: Be forgiven, but there are still concequences for your actions. Forgiveness on our pa…
Trackback by Church and State — 10.23.06 @ 11:24 am
Greetings ..
I could be wrong, but I don’t think he had any say in whether the SWIFT story was published. I think he was admitting error in _defending_ the decision, not in _making_ the decision.
Comment by tomjedrz — 10.23.06 @ 11:38 am
NYT Ombudsman Decides, ‘All Right, Maybe We Shouldn’t Have Run the SWIFT Story’
The whole thing is worth a read, including the odd tidbit that it was “vicious criticism” from those who opposed the Times that made him stick to his guns when maybe he shouldn’t have. After all, the actual evidence about the SWIFT program is no dif…
Trackback by Mary Katharine Ham — 10.23.06 @ 1:45 pm
I am the father of a ‘difficult’ son. He sees things through his special rose-coloreed glasses. He lie even when there is no need to lie. I always catch me in his lies. Over the years I have come to the conclusion that all I ever did was to teach hims to become a better liar.
At this point in the story some responsibility needs to be shouldered. If we just slap his wrists Byron Calame simply becomes a better liar. I order to feel the penalty for his duplicity, NYT Public Editor Byron Calame Should Resign immediately.
Perhaps some sort of repentance would do the sould good.
Comment by birdman — 10.24.06 @ 8:08 pm
My fingers type about two words slower that my brain, I hope you can interpret my intent.
Comment by birdman — 10.24.06 @ 8:10 pm