With almost daily headlines about secret prisons and criminal abuse of power, the Bush Gang has a new plan for reporters using inside information to expose governmental putrescence: put the nervy fuckers in jail.

Claiming news coverage of things like unauthorized wiretapping will harm Americans more than his presidency has, Bush is trying to dam the flood of leaks of classified information with fear, telling journalists and their would-be sources that the Justice Department will prosecute offending reporters. Wielding the 1917 Espionage Act, which makes communicating “national defense information” a crime for those with privileged access, the Justice Department says they see no reason the press can’t be tried too.

Though a CIA spokesperson denies any active intent to intimidate the press, the writing class sees it differently. Responding to the upsurge in press silencing, New York Times executive editor Bill Keller commented that “some days it sounds like the administration is declaring war at home on the values it professes to be promoting abroad.”

» Scott Saxon