Greg Mitchell's Blog, page 263

'NYT' Hits Obama on 'Spy' Scandals--But Edits Editorial

FRIDAY UPDATE  I had tweeted that I hoped NYT ed page editor Andy Rosenthal and/or public editor Margaret Sullivan would look into the editing change (see below) and now Sullivan has tweeted: "We didn't soften it one iota from the original intent," @ andyrNYT tells me on Obama editorial change.  See advises that her blog post coming.

And now: Her blog post has appeared.  She sides mainly with Rosenthal that the edit was simply to make clear what they thought was communicated in the original, and that they were not pressured to make change.  She argues, however, that there should have been some sort of note with the editorial explaining or noting change. 

Separately, on Twitter, she calls "blogger" headline for paper's profile of Glenn Greenwald rather "dismissive."

Earlier: Responding to last night's NSA phone/collection scoop, the NYT published this afternoon an editorial blasting the Obama administration in no uncertain terms.  And that was before tonight's PRISM shocker.   What next?   Here's what the paper said already:

The administration has now lost all credibility. Mr. Obama is proving the truism that the executive will use any power it is given and very likely abuse it. That is one reason we have long argued that the Patriot Act, enacted in the heat of fear after the 9/11 attacks by members of Congress who mostly had not even read it, was reckless in its assignment of unnecessary and overbroad surveillance powers.

Ponder that first sentence awhile. Because the Times has now changed it!  After it was posted for awhile, suddenly the words "on this issue" were added to the end, changing it quite a bit.  Wonder how that happened.

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Lack of Intelligence

Watch director of  National Intelligence, James Clapper, seemingly lie this past March to Sen. Ron Wyden (one of few critics of today's bombshells on NSA "spying."

Glenn Greenwald in the Cross-Hairs?

UPDATE #3 (see others at bottom):  NYT profiles Greenwald, the "blogger" tonight.   Note Andrew Sullivan quote: “I think he has little grip on what it actually means to govern a country or run a war. He’s a purist in a way that, in my view, constrains the sophistication of his work.” Of course, Sully, we know, has run a country and governed a war. 

Earlier: Greenwald, a semi-friend for several years now, was already no doubt getting probed by U.S. for his part in the big NSA/phone leak yesterday.  Now he's back, just a day later, with the big PRISM internet spying scoop (along with Wash Post writers).  So: doubly in trouble now with the state (ironically in same week as start of trial of Bradley Manning, who Glenn has strongly backed).

Roger Simon of Politico jokes in a tweet: "Glenn Greenwald is an American working for British publication & living mainly in South America. So how many drones circling him now?"   But here's Glenn's own tweet:  "I wish English language were broader so I could express my simultaneous contempt & mockery for the investigation threats emanating from DC."  He'll be on Piers Morgan show tonight.  Another tweet from him tonight:  "The dam has broke - let the water and sunshine flow."

UPDATE #1 On Piers Morgan just now, Greenwald said he was taking courage from leakers who risked so much to get story out.  Promised more of his own investigations even as others promise to probe him.  Says time long overdue for debate over this now that out in sunshine.  End the false claims of just saving us from "terrorism."  He'll be with Lawrence O'Donnell at 10 pm.

Bart Gellman of Wash Post now on.  Mentions of the irony of all the "jokes" about Google as world's greatest intelligence agency, ha ha.  Asked about Google etc. denying they are working with government, Gellman says not shocked they are denying--maybe they are basing it on a "technical" clause  but he has talked to someone who has taken part. Then Piers brings on Sen. Bernie Sanders who reminds us he voted against the Patriot Act.

UPDATE #2  Now Piers welcomes famed attorney Alan Dershowitz, who says he's concerned about revelations but then spends nearly all his time blasting  (almost while sputtering) Glenn Greenwald, accusing him of being attached to "radical ideology" who has exaggerated things for a long time in many cases.  Claims Obama not out to probe journalists and politicos and harmless individuals but admits 'we don't know what we don't know."

And Now, What Will 'NYT' Say Tomorrow?

Responding to last night's NSA phone/collection scoop, the NYT published this afternoon an editorial blasting the Obama administration in no uncertain terms.  And that was before tonight's PRISM shocker.   What next?   Here's what the paper said already:

The administration has now lost all credibility. Mr. Obama is proving the truism that the executive will use any power it is given and very likely abuse it. That is one reason we have long argued that the Patriot Act, enacted in the heat of fear after the 9/11 attacks by members of Congress who mostly had not even read it, was reckless in its assignment of unnecessary and overbroad surveillance powers.

Ponder that first sentence awhile. Because the Times has now changed it!  After it was posted for awhile, suddenly the words "on this issue" were added to the end, changing it quite a bit.  Wonder how that happened.

PRISM Bombshell: A Rainbow of Worries

UPDATE  National Intelligence chief James Clapper hits the leak in strong terms--but, cat out of bag, says he will now release some of details and terms of the NSA phone program, asks public to understand. 

Earlier:  So, how do you top last night's NSA bombshell?   This evening from the estimable Bart Gellman and Laura Poitras at Wash Post, who obtained slides for briefings:

The National Security Agency and the FBI are tapping directly into the central servers of nine leading U.S. Internet companies, extracting audio, video, photographs, e-mails, documents and connection logs that enable analysts to track a person’s movements and contacts over time.

The highly classified program, code-named PRISM, has not been disclosed publicly before. Its establishment in 2007 and six years of exponential growth took place beneath the surface of a roiling debate over the boundaries of surveillance and privacy. Even late last year, when critics of the foreign intelligence statute argued for changes, the only members of Congress who know about PRISM were bound by oaths of office to hold their tongues.

And how's this?

Firsthand experience with these systems, and horror at their capabilities, is what drove a career intelligence officer to provide PowerPoint slides about PRISM and supporting materials to The Washington Post in order to expose what he believes to be a gross intrusion on privacy. “They quite literally can watch your ideas form as you type,” the officer said.

The Guardian, again partly via Glenn Greenwald, has much the same (even the same slides?) and it's hard to tell who got what first or joint or what.  Glenn, now in the crosshairs for two scoops, just tweeted: :I wish English language were broader so I could express my simultaneous contempt & mockery for the investigation threats emanating from DC."

For what it's worth, Apple spokesman says they've never heard of PRISM.  Twitter notable by its absence in program (refused to cooperate?).

Wall Street Journal adds:  They've got our credit card receipts, too.

Iraq, Moyers and Me, Five Years On

On this date in 2008, I appeared on Bill Moyers' show for a lengthy segment around the table with Knight Ridder/McClatchy's Jonathan Landay and John Walcott, much hailed for getting it right in the runup to the Iraq invasion.  We talked about the war and the occupation and the media, leading from publication of my book, So Wrong for So Long .   And, yes, it's been that long since Scott McClellan's book came out.  Whatever happened to him?  You can read Bill on the program and watch it here.

Coffee: Buzz Worthy for Health?

NYT just posted a piece coming this Sunday in its magazine, detailing the many newly-revealed or -confirmed ways drinking 2 to 4 cups of coffee a day aids your health, cuts some serious cancers and in general helps you live longer (studies show).   And: tests on mice, and now humans, suggest coffee may help stave off dementia.

In a 2012 study of humans, researchers from the University of South Florida and the University of Miami tested the blood levels of caffeine in older adults with mild cognitive impairment, or the first glimmer of serious forgetfulness, a common precursor of Alzheimer’s disease, and then re-evaluated them two to four years later. Participants with little or no caffeine circulating in their bloodstreams were far more likely to have progressed to full-blown Alzheimer’s than those whose blood indicated they’d had about three cups’ worth of caffeine.

Song for Bradley

New song re: Bradley Manning from Chicago-area singer/songwriter Simeon Peebler, "Who Will Tell the Truth."  He says it's a work-in-progress but then so is Manning and his trial.

Good NSA Hunting

Newly-relevant scene from Good Will Hunting.  (h/t Todd Wasserman)

Bull on China Shot

On Morning Joe this morning, Time editor Rick Stengel called this the "most beautiful" cover in the magazine's long history.  No, it's not, but nice that it's a paper-cutting by Ai Weiwei.