The Press can stop the Bush Prosecutions of Journalist if they start to play HARDBALL with Bush. The Press should start to reveal the NAMES of BUSH officials who have served as sources on condition of Anonymity. There is an implicit understanding in politics that sources, whom reveal items to the press, serve democracy by making it hard for the government to keep secrets from its citizens. This is a useful check even if the sources often have alternative motives.
The Bush administration wants this to be a one way street. The Bush's want to be able to reveal items secretly to the press when it is to their advantage, but they don't want items revealed when it disadvantages them. Yes, that may seem obvious, all administrations feel this way. But unlike most administrations, the Bush administrations wants to prosecute those who reveal items, that hurt them politically.The Bush administration only respects power, any retreat to them is seen as a sign of weakness. The Press needs to stop Bush or they will suffer a severe loss of the ability to do their job.
The Press need to decide what's more important, doing their job or access to the DC cocktail circuit.
Why would revealing Anonymous Pro-White House Sources check the Bush administration prosecution of the Press?
1) The Very Fact They Want Anonymity Means They Have something To Loose by Going in The Open
The Press should start to reveal Pro-White House sources in this manner. Slip it out to the Blogs, or Small newspapers that the source from STORY X was none other than __ This will create all sorts of scandal the Bush administration can ill afford. It will also make it difficult to prove who is behind the stories revealing the leakers.
2) Ignore the FIRESTORM the Right-Wing Noise Machine Will Raise About This Tactic.
Expect the WSJ, Talk Radio, Conservative Editorials, and FAKE Democrats like JOE KLEIN to decry this tactic. Expect them to WAX Poetically about how this is a show of bad faith, that these tactics will politicize the Press. Expect them to ignore how even when the Press was trying to be fair they were attack as being a wildly liberal anti-Bush mob. The Press needs to ignore these SO-CALLED MEDIA CRITICS. Only by not being used and abused by the Bush Administration will they, the Press not be trampled on. Only by not being used by the Bush Administration will they serve the Constitutionally protected roll our founding fathers intended for them.
3) If the White House Knows They Will Suffer Political Damage from an Action THEY WILL STOP
Having press people anonymously reveal Pro-White House leakers, will create another scandal the White House can't afford. Question about why some leakers are prosecuted while others are not, will hurt the White House. It will make the Attorney General appear to be politically opportunistic in his prosecutions. It will also force the White House to reveal that some leaks were authorized damage their public case that all leaks damage national security.
Only by the Press starting to reveal the NAMES of BUSH officials who have served as sources on condition of Anonymity can they fight back. The Bush/Cheney/Rove White House only understands power and hardball. They only respect forces able to stand up to them. Remember compromise is a dirty word to these folks. I doubt the press will ever respond in this way, but it is the only way that will work.