In the "hats off" department

Kudos to The New York Times who is suing the U.S. Department of Defense to demand the release of documents about this administration's domestic surveillance National Security Agency program. You may recall, in December, the NSA story broke, and our president later called the report about the program that monitors our phone calls, and e-mails "shameful." The Justice Department has already launched an investigation into who "leaked" news of this highly classified governmental practice.

According to Reuters, The Times has requested a list of documents including "all internal memos and e-mails" about this clandestine program, as well as the names of those individuals, and/or groups currently under surveillance. Not surprisingly, the Pentagon is dawdling with regard to giving up this material, hence the Freedom of Information Act lawsuit brought by the newspaper in response.

Hats off to The New York Times, for launching a preemptive strike against a government intent on muzzling the press by attempting to bully journalists, editors, and newspaper publishers, as well as anyone else who challenges their theocracy of secrecy.