A few days ago, the Associated Press was rubbing its palms together in excitement when it reported that Barack Obama's aunt who lives in Boston was violating immigration law by being an undocumented immigrant from Kenya. The AP acted as if this violation was somehow Obama's fault - because according to the right-wing media, everything is. (The candidate didn't even know his aunt was in America illegally.)
According to the media, if someone swallowed a booger in 1914, it's Obama's fault, even though it was decades before he was born. That's how the press "thinks."
Now it turns out that the disclosure about his aunt violated the government's privacy policy. Even the DHS is strict about these things, you know. Federal privacy statutes also limit government agencies from revealing information about immigrants' statuses.
One of the Assholciated Press's sources was a federal law enforcement official - who is bound by these laws.
Oops.
So the AP thinks that a private individual violating immigration law justifies law enforcement breaking an important privacy law? I think the public expects law enforcement to follow a slightly higher standard than the civilian population. Apparently there are some in the media who do not share this view - at least not when they think they can "get" a candidate they oppose. (Keep in mind that Barack Obama broke no laws himself.)
What if every school principal decided to go to the media and release confidential disciplinary records about students? What if every doctor decided to release private medical data about patients showing their unhealthy habits? It's not the type of world I'd want to live in.
Law enforcement represents the government, so the AP's hit piece is nothing less than a government attack on a candidate.
(Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/01/AR2008110102187.html)
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Partisan hit piece violated privacy law
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AP didn't "act" as though his aunt being here illegally was Obama's fault. All the article does is report on FACT. And it is NOT against the law to write about someone's immigration status. It may be illegal for the law enforcement official to leak that information to the press, but if you think the article itself broke the law you need a refresher on the first amendment.
ReplyDeleteThey did "act" like it was his fault. If they weren't trying to derail his campaign, they never would have reported it.
ReplyDeleteWhy is there not an investigation into this corrupt cop who leaked the info?