Spin Cycle

Nice to see Long Island's own Rep. Peter King speaking with the New York Times (as earlier cited) about his GOP goals -- given that less than two years ago he'd condemned the paper and its editorial staff for nothing short of treason, which of course carries the death penalty.

On June 26, 2006, after the Times and the Wall Street Journal simultaneously published accounts of the Bush Administration's secret financial-monitoring program used to trace terrorists -- once they had held the story for some time -- this dispatch was filed by the Associated Press:

"Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.) cited the New York Times in particular for publishing a report last week saying that the Treasury Department is working with the CIA to examine an international database of money-transfer records.

'King said he will write Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, urging that the nation's chief law enforcer 'begin an investigation and prosecution of the New York Times -- the reporters, the editors and the publisher.''

"We're at war, and for the Times to release information about secret operations and methods is treasonous," King said.

Did he declare the same with regard to that wantonly anti-Republican Wall Street Journal? We don't seem to have a record of that...

Anyway, we've all heard about Gonzales' own offenses against the Constitution since then -- he went south condemned by those in both parties in a political scandal -- but not about whatever happened to the Congressman's requested investigation. Will Michael Mukasey prosecute? More likely, the Times was quietly "cleared" -- otherwise, King surely wouldn't be so opportunistic as to interview with dangerous felons and smile in diners for their subversive cameras.

Aaah, then again, yes, people do like the guy -- we're not immune -- and we are kinda jealous that we didn't have the speculation out first. Still, you have to ask how many ways a pol can have it.

Dan Janison