Lo, those many years ago, news reporters whose names were absent from the Nixon White House "enemies list" had an almost-universal reaction: they were mightily ticked that they hadn't been included.

There's a reason: as the only "private profession" specifically granted Constitutional protection in the Bill of Rights, the intrinsic role of the press is to challenge government authority and question government action... in the name of American citizens. In so doing, the Founders' intent was to spark free and open debate among those citizens.

One can disagree with how the news media operate --and I've done so often, even when I was far more active in the biz; one can certainly disagree with Bob Woodward's conclusions, even with his reportage, both of which are getting so much attention right now-- including no small amount of outraged pushback from the government.

But it would be hard to argue that he's not doing the job that the Constitution intended for the press, and playing the role that the American citizenry must depend on if our system and our freedoms are to be preserved now and in the future.

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/woodward-at-war-88212.html

-- Earl Merkel