Whenever I call Obama and his regime ‘fascist’ I usually hear from people on both sides of the aisle saying I’ve gone too far. Let me just say, I have a tiny feeling those complaints will be stopping. In another remarkable revelation, we have now learned that Obama’s DOJ has seized the records from phone lines, (work, home and cell!), of AP reporters, with potentially hundreds of reporters affected. I’ll let the story speak for itself, but let me say, the word “impeachment” becomes more necessary every day.

AP: Gov’t obtains wide AP phone records in probe

…In all, the government seized the records for more than 20 separate telephone lines assigned to AP and its journalists in April and May of 2012. The exact number of journalists who used the phone lines during that period is unknown, but more than 100 journalists work in the offices where phone records were targeted, on a wide array of stories about government and other matters.
In a letter of protest sent to Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday, AP President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Pruitt said the government sought and obtained information far beyond anything that could be justified by any specific investigation. He demanded the return of the phone records and destruction of all copies.

“There can be no possible justification for such an overbroad collection of the telephone communications of The Associated Press and its reporters. These records potentially reveal communications with confidential sources across all of the newsgathering activities undertaken by the AP during a two-month period, provide a road map to AP’s newsgathering operations and disclose information about AP’s activities and operations that the government has no conceivable right to know,” Pruitt said.

NYT: Phone Records of Journalists Seized by U.S.

Federal investigators secretly seized two months of phone records for reporters and editors of The Associated Press in what the news organization said Monday was a “serious interference with AP’s constitutional rights to gather and report the news.”

The A.P.’s president, Gary Pruitt, called the seizure an “unprecedented intrusion.”

The A.P. said that the Justice Department informed it on Friday that law enforcement officials had obtained the records for more than 20 telephone lines of its offices and journalists, including their home phones and cellphones. It said the records were seized without notice sometime this year.

Politico: Journalists fume over DOJ raid on AP

Journalists on Monday called the news the Justice Department seized records from phone lines assigned to Associated Press offices and its reporters over a two month period “chilling” and a “dragnet to intimidate the media.”

The AP reported the Justice Dept. obtained records that listed incoming and outgoing calls and the duration of those calls for work and personal phone numbers of AP reporters and phone lines for AP offices in New York, Hartford, Conn. and Washington, as well as the main number for AP reporters in the House of Representatives press gallery. The government seized records — which listed incoming and outgoing calls and the call’s length — for more than 20 separate lines assigned to the AP and its reporters, according to the AP.

Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren told POLITICO in an email that the DOJ’s seizure “sounds like a dragnet to intimidate the media,” not a criminal investigation.

“What is stunning is the breadth of the seizure!” Van Susteren said. “If you read the AP President’s letter to DOJ, and if his letter is accurate, the seizure was very broad: 2 months of telephone records involving many who work at AP! 20 phone lines, home and cell? NY, DC, Connecticut employees? That doesn’t sound like a criminal investigation, that sounds like a dragnet to intimidate the media. The US Attorney’s issued statement about the secret seizure was blah, blah, blah. It doesn’t say anything. The DOJ better be following the law and the Constitution.”

San Francisco Chronicle Editorial: Feds’ seizure of AP phone records: breach of trust

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16 Comments | Leave a comment
  1. idaho_karen says:

    Hopefully, their memory will be as long as the elephant’s. ‘Forgive Obama & DOJ’ should not be a part of reporters’ vocabulary.

  2. strider says:

    Roughing up one of their camp followers might be a diversion.

  3. Shifra says:

    The economy is in bad shape because of Bush. The IRS targetted Tea Party because of some low-level Cincinnati IRS workers. The Benghazi story became politicized because of Mitt Romney.

    Obama will never take responsibility for anything (except the killing of Osama bin Laden.) He can’t. He really does have a severe Personality Disorder and has very poor insight into the nature of his own failings. For someone with a Personality Disorder, it’s *always* someone else’s fault….

  4. Shifra says:

    And in other news, the DB received a Tammy Upgrade to POS 🙂

  5. Mkironman says:

    The more I read and hear I can’t believe how absolutely corrupt, dishonest and horrible the federal government is, yes impeachment!

  6. flaggman says:

    Journalists really are as dumb as they seem. What, they thought the crocodile wouldn’t eat them too?

  7. Kitten says:

    2nd term hubris taking a big ol’ bite outta his arse. About time! The wheels on this bus are sploding everyday, 3 gone so far…

  8. TX Soldier254 says:

    Obama is out of control and therefore cannot be entrusted with America’s Secrets, the Military, and our Nation’s Financial future.

    Obama must be Impeached and Removed from Office forthwith.

    McCain will Not vote for Articles of Impeachment, so be it.

    Biden should become President with the clear understanding, Americans will not, nay, cannot tolerate Unconstitutional American Despots.

    God Bless America through Us!

  9. Dave says:

    Hey you asskissin’ fake reporters, how does this set with you? welcome to our world.

  10. LJZumpano says:

    Talk about black swans!! They are as prevalent as the Canadian geese these days. And such a nuisance for no drama Obama. And it’s only Tuesday!

  11. chris1058 says:

    I do believe that Tammy is right. Not only is this the tip of the iceberg, more is coming out. It cannot be stopped. The door opened for these illegal activities in January of 2009. They are now entrenched, systemic operating procedures. They will surface like boils after an infection under the skin. I hope we survive. Can someone list ALL of the scandals? Dept of Agriculture discrimination cases, Dept of Energy “green energy loan authorization”, DOJ dropping of successfully prosecuted voter intimidation case against black panthers, fast and furious, etc. ? The list is breathtaking!

  12. MaryVal says:

    This administration is the most corrupt I have ever witnessed. That includes Nixon. It’s rotten from top to bottom. I hear the “I” word being bandied about – impeachment – but I don’t believe it will ever happen. The RINOs don’t have the cajones for it. The Dems are saying, s**t happens, no big deal, and blaming the RINOs.

  13. Vintageport says:

    Only 3 corruption eruptions? I think I’ll take the “over” on that one.

  14. Mary says:

    I’m more convinced than ever that the Obama administration is EXACTLY the type of government our Fore Fathers were trying to protect us from with the Constitution.
    The question will be, will the 3rd Branch; Congress and We The People stand up and put up a fight and take our country back?

  15. Alain41 says:

    WaPo is taking an active in-between position on the Administration’s current troubles, specifically the AP phone records seize. Paul Farhi’s Style column is about how conservatives are wrong, the press has not always been in love with Obama. http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/justice-department-subpoena-increases-tension-between-white-house-news-media/2013/05/14/5b5e71d2-bcd4-11e2-9b09-1638acc3942e_story.html

    Dana Milbank’s op-ed page column encourages Obama to get involved (I like the alliterative sound of the first sentence). “President Passerby needs urgently to become a participant in his presidency….”

    However the very liberal, normally disgusting, political cartoonist Tom Toles does have a good cartoon today.

    I’m not going to rely on WaPo to pursue the truth.

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