Judith Miller, Robert Novak, Cokie Roberts, and the WSJ op-ed page

Cokie Roberts on ABC’s This Week suggested that the Novak blow-up showed that we need a “press shield law”. It seems the WSJ op-ed folks have sounded a similar theme:

we warned that the media would regret their demand for a special counsel to discover Mr. Novak’s sources, since that same counsel would eventually turn on them. And so the special counsel has, sending Judith Miller of the New York Times to jail for contempt. The members of the liberal press pack owe Mr. Novak an apology, nt vice versa.

Joshua Marshall goes after the earlier nonsense in this WSJ op-ed. Maybe Ms. Roberts should have read what Joshua provided here before going on This Week:

JUDY MILLER MET with Scooter Libby on July 8th 2003 to discuss Valerie Plame.

Ms. Miller is not protecting a source. She is protecting Scooter Libby as the entire purpose of that July 8, 2003 meeting was Libby’s attempt to get Ms. Miller to out a CIA agent for a partisan agenda. Her only defense – and it’s a weak one at that – is that she did not do the dirty work leaving that to Mr. Novak. I guess Ms. Roberts was a shield law for reporters to assist corrupt government officials.