Welcome to the Washington Hotlist, the best place to read unedited, completely opinionated rants on the state of our Union. You will definitely notice that I tend to tilt a particular way ideologically, but I will do my best to hold both sides accountable for caring more about their own self-interest than the public interest.
This week, the entire world learned the true identity of “Deep Throat,” the early 1970s anonyous source that two young Washington Post writers counted on to break the Watergate scandal, one of the most constitutionally challenging eras in our history. Contrary to the popular beliefs of many Americans (most of them of the conservative variety), the media has and will continue to provide an invaluable service to the American public. Richard Nixon became the first (and only) President to resign from office because of the dedicated and committed work of two great Americans. There are other ways to serve your country besides joining the military.
Unfortunately, the First Amendment’s Freedom of the Press has come under attack by the Bush administration and both houses of Congress. Completing the branches-of-government trifecta, the Supreme Court has repeatedly weighed in on this issue by introducing completely unknowable and subjective standards for “indecency” and”obscenity” into the discourse. Why do politicians fear the press? Because they might get caught for some wrongdoing? Isn’t disclosure the remedy for back-room dealings and dictatorial regimes?
Sorry guys, but if you run for a public office in a democratic republic, you are subject to public scrutiny; and that is why we have a free press – to perform this necessity on our behalf.
Thank you Mark Felt – for serving your country so bravely, so nobly, and for leading us all to better times.