UPDATED: Why hasn't the NYT been prosecuted?

Excellent commentary by Heather MacDonald at The Weekly Standard:

BY NOW IT'S UNDENIABLE: The New York Times is a national security threat. So drunk is it on its own power and so antagonistic to the Bush administration that it will expose every classified antiterror program it finds out about, no matter how legal the program, how carefully crafted to safeguard civil liberties, or how vital to protecting American lives.

The Times's latest revelation of a national security secret appeared on last Friday's front page--where no al Qaeda operative could possibly miss it. Under the deliberately sensational headline, "Bank Data Sifted in Secret by U.S. to Block Terror," the Times blows the cover on a highly targeted program to locate terrorist financing networks. According to the report, since 9/11, the Bush administration has obtained information about terror suspects' international financial transactions from a Belgian clearinghouse of international money transfers.

The procedure for obtaining that information could not be more solicitous of privacy and the rule of law: Agents are only allowed to seek information based on intelligence tying specific individuals to al Qaeda; they must document the intelligence behind every search request and maintain an electronic record of every search; and, in an inspired civil liberties innovation that would undoubtedly garner kudos from the Times had a Democratic administration devised it, a board of independent auditors from banks reviews the subpoena requests to make sure that only terror suspects' transactions are traced. Any use of the data for criminal investigations into drug trafficking, say, or tax fraud is banned. The administration briefed congressional leaders and the 9/11 Commission about the system.

Since when has being briefed ever deterred liberal Senators from invoking the amnesia defense when they feign outrage?

Seriously, the first line sums it up: "The New York Times is a national security threat." There's just no two ways about it. Their shameless and brazen fits of Bush Derangement Syndrome have driven their headlines (and declining circulation) for years, but the NSA story and this one really take the cake. The Constitution specifically addresses treason and giving aid and comfort to our enemies, and if the NYT isn't doing that, then Michael Moore is the new spokesman for Weight Watchers.

The program is not illegal, and the Slimes concedes that point, begrudgingly. Hell, it even was responsible for nabbing the Bali bomber, Indonesian terrorist Hambali! Not illegal, seems to be working...I know, let's sabotage it!

The closing is excellent:

Al Qaeda has long worked to manipulate the media in its favor. It can disband that operation now, knowing that, unbidden, America's most powerful newspaper is looking out for its interests.

UPDATE (6/25/06, 2:27 p.m. EST): Further piling on and aiding the Iraqi insurgency/terrorism spree, the Slimes is now reporting on "a classified briefing at the Pentagon this week by the commander, Gen. George W. Casey Jr." How can they spin this into a "public interest" story, when by their own admission, it's freakin' classified? I don't hear the same people who were screaming about non-covert desk jockey Plame getting that worked up over this story, do you?

UPDATE (6/25/06, 2:29 p.m. EST): Rep. Peter King (R-NY) is going to ask AG Gonzales to look into prosecuting the Slimes, calling their actions "treasonous." What took them so long?!? It's high time they were made an example of, isn't it?

"MSM infidels...what would we do without them?"