THE DAILY BLADE: Secret NSA Program To Zip Loose MSM Lips
Even with FDR censoring news and disseminating disinformation to the media, journalists gave him the latitude needed to successfully prosecute the war against Nazism without exposing him to charges that “FDR lied and people died.” In fact, rather than divulge military secrets, body counts and tactical errors, FDR could count on the media helping him demoralize the enemy instead of the American people and our soldiers on the front.
Oh how times have changed. So much so that the National Security Agency felt compelled to hold a series of off-the-record "seminars" between 2002 and 2004 to discourage reporters from divulging leaks “that could interfere with the agency's mission to spy on America's enemies,” reports The New York Sun:
The half-day classes featured high-ranking NSA officials highlighting objectionable passages in published stories and offering "an innocuous rewrite" that officials said maintained the "overall thrust" of the articles but omitted details that could disclose the agency's techniques …
The NSA's seminars, delivered over tea and pastries, and accompanied by a clip from “Top Gun,” seemed designed to elicit a chummy atmosphere and to highlight commonalities between reporters and the agency's electronic sleuths. “Reporters go to great lengths to protect their sources, as do we,” one talking point for the classes said. “We need your help.” …
Among the news stories singled out for redrafting by the NSA were an Associated Press rewrite of a 1999 USA Today article by Jack Kelley reporting that officials used a “reconnaissance satellite” to intercept Osama bin Laden's telephone calls and head off six attacks on American embassies, a 1998 Knight Ridder dispatch by Neely Tucker reporting that an “exhaustive review of electronic intercepts of the traffic on bin Laden's communications network” picked up evidence of his involvement in the bombing of American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and a 1998 New York Times story by Steven Lee Myers reporting that a Pentagon warning about a possible attack on American interests in the Persian Gulf was prompted by "eavesdropping on conversations between Mr. bin Laden" and his cohorts.
Imagine what Ernie Pyle would have thought of the need for such a seminar – or even the young Walter Cronkite.
Goodness Is Its Own Reward
Good news for G-d-fearing conservatives, bad news for secular liberals: New research published in the Archives of General Psychiatry links conscientiousness and self-discipline with a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. The findings are derived from a longitudinal study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago who have prospectively followed the health status of almost 1,000 Catholic nuns, priests and brothers older than age 65 since 1994.
In the study, the researchers defined conscientious people as “being able to control their impulses … goal-orientated and … dependable types who always 'got the job done'.” Assuming the participants in the public gaysexapalooza that took place in San Francisco this past week-end do not die prematurely of some dread sexually transmitted disease, they might do well to contemplate that bit about being able to control their impulses – before it’s too late to be able to contemplate anything at all.
The Stiletto Scoops Michael Chertoff
“Is This One Of Those Jobs That “Americans Won’t Do?,” The Stiletto Blog, August 1, 2006:
Between July 1999 and June 2005, the border patrol apprehended at least 3.2 million illegal immigrants crossing into Southern Arizona from Mexico. Authorities estimate that each one of them left 8 pounds of trash behind – that’s nearly 25 million pounds of trash. But no one can calculate how many tons of refuse is really out there in the desert, because it is impossible to determine how much has been discarded by illegals who didn’t get caught.
“Chertoff: Illegals 'Degrade' Environment,” The Associated Press, October 1, 2007:
"Illegal migrants really degrade the environment. I've seen pictures of human waste, garbage, discarded bottles and other human artifact in pristine areas," Chertoff said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "And believe me, that is the worst thing you can do to the environment."
The Other Shoe Drops: Updates To Previous Posts
† An Abortion Clinic By Any Other Name: A 22,000-square-foot, $7.5 million abortion mill that Planned Parenthood built in Aurora, IL – the biggest in the U.S. – commenced its grim mission on the morning of October 2nd after three legal reviews concluded the city couldn't withhold an occupancy permit from the clinic.
† The Keystone Kops Are Enforcing U.S. Immigration Laws: U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer has sustained a temporary restraining order that stops the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration from mailing “no match” notices to 140,000 U.S. employers, delaying a decision on the legality of the Bush administration's plan to ferret out illegal immigrants and to sanction the companies that hire them. The AFL-CIO, American Civil Liberties Union, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and various trade associations sued to prevent enforcement of laws against identity theft and document forgery.
† Though Ham-Handed, Hamdan Ruling Changes Nothing: On the first day of its new term, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case of Guantanamo detainee Salim Ahmed Hamdan challenging the legality of the military commission system that plans to try him for conspiracy and supporting terrorism. Hamdan was Osama bin Laden’s driver.
Re Planned Parenthood:
<http://cbrinfo.org/> is an excellent (though graphic - abortion video on home page) pro-life website. The organization is basically a traveling photo exhibit that visits various colleges. Perhaps our Illinois friends would like a visit?
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