Congressman Peter King Wants New York Times Prosecuted

Senator Joe Lieberman wants the New York Times investigated, but Congressman Peter King one-ups Lieberman by wanting prosecution. King brought up the Pentagon Papers, published by the New York Times.  The government wanted to stop the paper from publishing that material, but the court denied the government the right to exercise prior restraint. King opined, “There is a difference between prior restraint and actual prosecution. Again, I think The New York Times acted disgracefully, irresponsibly, and it’s put American lives at risk.”

There is no evidence that any lives were put at risk. In fact, Daniel Ellsberg, who released the Pentagon Papers, says just the opposite.

He told the BBC’s World Today programme that US officials made that same argument every time there was a potentially embarrassing leak.

“The best justification they can find for secrecy is that lives are at stake. Actually, lives are at stake as a result of the silences and lies which a lot of these leaks reveal,” he said.

“The same charges were made against the Pentagon Papers and turned out to be quite invalid.”

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.