Some Leaks Are More Important Than Others

Less than a week after a Washington Post story about the existence of the CIA’s secret prisons, Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) and House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) have called for an investigation into the leak of this information. "Such an egregious disclosure could have long-term and far-reaching damaging and dangerous consequences." While conservatives have rushed to investigate this "serious matter," Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) revealed that the leak likely came from a Senate staffer who attended last week’s GOP-only meeting with Vice President Dick Cheney, where the detention centers were discussed. "It’s sad that the Republican Congressional leadership wants to focus not on the C.I.A.’s maintenance of secret facilities…but on those who discovered this blatant illegality," said Kenneth Roth of Human Rights Watch.