Valerie-gate

Hal Lindsay looks at Judith Miller's refusal to divulge the name of her source in the Valerie Plame case. He cites inconsistencies in how people are applying the First Amendment.

If there is a difference between Judith Miller's refusal to obey a federal judge and a final ruling from the Supreme Court and Judge Roy Moore's refusal to remove the Ten Commandments from an Alabama courthouse, I fail to see it.

And

Of Miller's refusal to obey the rule of law, the the New York Times had this to say: "There are times when the greater good of our democracy demands an act of conscience."

I agree. Every time I pass an abortion clinic, I believe murdering the unborn does not serve the greater good of our democracy. Nobody gave the victim of an abortionist a vote. But if I violate the law prohibiting me from exercising my conscience too close to the kill zone, my act of conscience has legal penalties.

So does Judith Miller's.

One quote, though, which really deserves to be a pull quote for the article:

And frankly, I find it stretches the limits of credulity to suggest that Judith Miller (or any other liberal reporter) would risk jail to protect a member of the Bush administration in the first place.

Indeed.