The Espionage Act Of 1917 … The “Progressive’s” Press Cudgel

Michael Barone: More Than All Past Presidents, Obama Uses 1917 Espionage Act To Go After Reporters

 

 

” The Espionage Act was passed with bipartisan support in a Democratic Congress and strongly supported by Democratic President Woodrow Wilson.

Wilson wanted even more. “Authority to exercise censorship over the press is absolutely necessary,” he wrote a senator. He got that authority in May 1918 when Congress passed the Sedition Act criminalizing, among other things, “abusive language” about the government.

Wilson’s Justice Department successfully prosecuted Eugene Debs, the Socialist candidate who received 900,000 votes for president in 1912, for making statements opposing the war.

It was an ugly period in our history. It’s also a reminder that big government liberals can be as much inclined to suppress civil liberties as small government conservatives — or more so.

Fortunately, things changed after Wilson left office. A Republican Congress allowed the Sedition Act to expire in 1921.

Debs, who received 915,000 votes for president in 1920 while in Atlanta federal prison, was pardoned by Republican President Warren Harding (a former journalist) and invited to the White House.

The Espionage Act of 1917 remained on the books and was amended to cover news media. But it was used sparingly.”

 

 

 

    Ah , Progressives … they use a century old law to stifle the press and reject an asylum plea in an attempt to deport a German family to face a Hitler era education law . How’s that for progress ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Reporters applaud Obama’s slam on Romney’s wealth

Hypocrisy All Around

 

 ” “You know, I don’t look at my pension. It’s not as big as yours, so it — it doesn’t take as long,” Mr. Obama retorted. His reply prompted laughter in the debate hall where the two men were squaring off — but across the way in the separate room where the press was stationed, a brief round of applause broke out.

Mr. Obama has made Mr. Romney’s personal wealth a major issue in the campaign, arguing that he is out of touch with average voters who pay a higher income tax rate even though they earn far less than Mr. Romney, who founded and ran Bain Capital, an investment firm.” 

 

 

 

The man has boasted a 782% rate of return the past 4 years . Who can compete with that ? George Soros ? 

What’s Good for the Goose …

I too am of the opinion that some oppo-research is in order for these bootlickers in the old media . Seems to me that by casting their lot with Obama and the progressive Left they forfeit any claim to neutrality thus making them part of the opposing team . 

 

  “We now have three  instances of three individual Politico writers digging up and publishing political oppo-research about the private lives of private citizens who don’t support Obama, and the motive behind these attacks can only be for two reasons:…”