Blog of the Week The StrataSphere notes that Alberto Gonzales put journalists on warning on ABC's This Week this morning:

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Sunday he believes journalists can be prosecuted for publishing classified information, citing an obligation to national security.

The nation’s top law enforcer also said the government will not hesitate to track telephone calls made by reporters as part of a criminal leak investigation, but officials would not do so routinely and randomly.

“There are some statutes on the book which, if you read the language carefully, would seem to indicate that that is a possibility,” Gonzales said, referring to prosecutions. “We have an obligation to enforce those laws. We have an obligation to ensure that our national security is protected.”

Gonzales also said that the administration does not use warrantless wiretaps to catch reporters leaking, which makes sense. But, of course, there is nothing to stop law enforcement agencies from getting a warrant to tap journalists' calls to identify leakers.

Will all of this lead to criminal prosecutions of either journalists or leakers? Put me down as highly skeptical.

UPDATE: Expose the Left has the video.

Posted by John at 12:52 PM  |    |