Via Glenn Reynolds, I see that Tom Maguire has some good questions for the "Meet The Pravda" crowd relating to the Plame matter:

...what did these reporters say, and when did they say it. Did they cooperate but promise their silence? Why? Or, was their contact so tame that Fitzgerald was not interested - tell us.

Or did they refuse to cooperate? If they refused in the name of press freedom on behalf of the public's right to know, would they mind informing their public of the good work they are undertaking on our behalf?

Right now Congress is debating a reporters shield law, while reporters are shielding us from some basic facts about this important case. What about my right to know?

(How I love rhetorical questions!)

Obviously the only rights that count are the rights of the specially privileged.

In an unrelated story, the Philadelphia Inquirer noted in passing that it has special privileges:

WASHINGTON - Contending that Saudi Arabia remains a center of financing and recruitment for extremists, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D., N.J.) says it is time for the United States to consider ending military cooperation with the Saudis unless they crack down more forcefully on radical Islamic groups.

Lautenberg and his staff have prepared a 12-page report detailing links between extremist groups and Saudi financiers in an effort to persuade Congress and the White House to reexamine the relationship. The Inquirer was given a copy of the report, which has not yet been released.

The other day I asked rhetorically, "Whose news is this?"

Events are making it obvious that news belongs to (or should properly belong to) only the government and the mainstream media.

More legislation is needed to strengthen this relationship.

Ahem.

(For my part, I'll try to keep asking rhetorical questions. What? I should stop being cynical and write to my congressman instead?)

For the umpteenth time, I should remind my readers to beware of the fallacy that "coverups don't work." As I have said time and time again, bipartisan coverups do indeed work.

Especially when the two parties are government and media.

MORE: My apologies for screwing up the spelling Tom Maguire's name! (I corrected the error.)