Obama, Specter break on reporter bill

Timothy McNulty | October 1, 2009

Obama has of course gone way out of his way to support Arlen Specter's reelection, but is opposing him on a reporter's rights bill, the NYT reported yesterday:

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration has told lawmakers that it opposes legislation that could protect reporters from being imprisoned if they refuse to disclose confidential sources who leak material about national security, according to several people involved with the negotiations.

The administration this week sent to Congress sweeping revisions to a "media shield" bill that would significantly weaken its protections against forcing reporters to testify.

. . . The two Democratic senators who have been prime sponsors of the legislation, Charles E. Schumer of New York and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, said on Wednesday that they were disappointed by the administration's position.

Mr. Specter called the proposed changes "totally unacceptable," saying they would gut meaningful judicial review. And in a statement, Mr. Schumer said: "The White House's opposition to the fundamental essence of this bill is an unexpected and significant setback. It will make it hard to pass this legislation."

But Ben LaBolt, a White House spokesman, called the proposed changes appropriate and argued that the administration was making a significant concession by accepting some judicial review. He noted that the Bush administration had strongly opposed such a bill as an incursion into executive power.