Sneaking Suspicions has a story on the two Baltimore Sun journalists who were frozen out by Maryland Governor Erlich. They have sued because Governor Erlich issued a memo telling staffers not to speak to them.

Under the First Amendment they do have the right to ask me questions.

Under the First Amendment I do have the right to not answer their questions.

It seems to me that many journalists feel that the First Amendment means that I have to answer their questions…

These two found out otherwise…

Go read it.

Hat tip: Instapundit

Beldar has a most excellent analysis of the DC Circuit’s decision in the Judith Miller contempt case. Beldar’s scorecard on the DC Circuit’s Plame decision today: Prosecution 34, Journalists 0: Go read it all.

Beldar also mentions Orin Kerr’s post on The Volokh Conspiracy:
DC Circuit on Blogging and the Reporter’s Privilege.

Judge Sentelle pointed out some of the difficulties of applying such a privilege in light of the blogosphere:

Perhaps more to the point today, does the privilege also protect the proprietor of a web log: the stereotypical “blogger” sitting in his pajamas at his personal computer posting on the World Wide Web his best product to inform whoever happens to browse his way? If not, why not? How could one draw a distinction consistent with the court’s vision of a broadly granted personal right? If so, then would it not be possible for a government official wishing to engage in the sort of unlawful leaking under investigation in the present controversy to call a trusted friend or a political ally, advise him to set up a web log (which I understand takes about three minutes) and then leak to him under a promise of confidentiality the information which the law forbids the official to disclose?

Go read the rest.

Reese Schonfeld, CNN Co-founder just said on Neil Cavuto that CNN caved to pressure and “fired another one, like Arnett, without the goods.”

I don’t know if there’s going to be a transcript at Fox News.

He also said that Eason Jordan said what he said “to protect journalists”.

JohnnyDollar’sPlace has a transcript from an interview with Reese Schonfeld earlier today on Fox & Friends.
Here’s a piece from the earlier interview:

DOOCY: Right. So here’s a guy who had made those comments in the op-ed piece a couple of years ago, and really stirred up a hornet’s nest. And now he says this. Did he really have much of a job over there? I mean, was he a guy who was a marginal character and they said, it’s not worth the heat?

SCHONFELD: I thought they had marginalized him after that. I’m surprised that he got to speak at Davos. I mean, they should have learned enough not to send him out and let him open his mouth anywhere. You know, CNN, the Confused News Network.

Bold mine.

I always thought the Mary Kay Letoureau/Vili Fualauu story was sickening – but this just takes the cake. Fox News reports that they have set a wedding date.

“It’s been long overdue,” said Noel Soriano, a longtime friend of the family who confirmed Sunday that they will marry this spring. “It’s going to be fabulous, seeing them get hitched finally.”

No. It’s just sick.

PoliPundit links to Byron York’s description of Terry McAuliffe’s “Farewell Tribute” last Thursday night.

Byron says, “How do you pay tribute to a man whose main legacy was losing elections?”

It reads like a parody but it’s true.

Almost, almost feel sorry for the man. Can’t wait to see what the new guy will do.

Fox News reports that North Korea is now claiming that they have nuclear weapons and will not return to six party talks anytime soon.

The North Korean Government claim that they need them for self defense against ” what it considers an increasingly hostile United States.”

There has been no independent verification of North Korea’s claims.

hat tip: Command Post

Prince Charles is going to marry Camilla-Parker Bowles in a civil ceremony at Windsor Castle on April 8th.

The Fox News story points out that:

Last year, a poll indicated that more Britons support Prince Charles marrying Parker Bowles than oppose it.

Thirty-two percent of respondents to the Populus poll said they would support Charles if he remarried, while 29 percent were opposed. Thirty-eight percent said they didn’t care and 2 percent had no opinion.

President Bush was just on Fox News. I asked my four year old who that was on TV. He said, “That’s George Bush”. I asked him what was George Bush’s job. He answered, “Guarding the country!”.

That’s pretty good for a four year old! I wasn’t quite sure if he said “guarding” or “guiding”. Each is correct. I’m just not sure if he knows what guiding means.

Yesterday the Chicago Tribune didn’t print the Prickly City comic. This is a comic with a conservative viewpoint. The paper published Bizzaro in its place with the following notice:

• “Today’s Prickly City does not meet the Chicago Tribune’s standards of fairness. Please enjoy this substitute.”

The Prickly City comic from yesterday can be viewed here.

You decide.

Update: The Chicago Tribune prints Doonesbury every day. (I meant to put this in when I first posted this)

Being a service-connected disable veteran I am very interested in the VA portion of the budget. The Washington Times yesterday had an article on the budget. I excerpt the VA portion here:

VETERANS AFFAIRS
Spending: $33.4 billion, up 2.7 percent
The president’s plan would raise medical care spending from $21.6 billion to $22.4 billion, as well as upping funding by $240 million on inpatient care for veterans with problems related to mental illness, including alcohol and drug use.

After four years of increases in the agency’s budget, Mr. Bush wants veterans to start picking up more of the tab. He asks veterans who have the highest incomes among those seeking VA health care and who do not have service-connected illnesses or injuries to pay a $250 annual fee. Mr. Bush also wants to increase prescription drug co-payments for such veterans from $7 to $15 for a 30-day drug supply. More than 2 million veterans could be affected.

The fees make up much of the increase in medical care spending.

Mr. Bush has made similar requests in previous budgets, only to be soundly rejected by members of Congress. But the environment is different this year with new House and Senate veterans affairs committee chairmen, at least one of whom has been supportive of the president’s efforts to focus resources on certain veterans.

This seems very reasonable to me. Of course, as a service-connected disabled veteran, I wouldn’t have to pay the $250 annual fee. I don’t have co-pays for meds relating to my disability, but I do have the copay for meds that aren’t related such as Flonase. The above points out that more than 2 million veterans could be affected. That’s could be affected. I would believe that most of the wealthier vets, or those without a service-connected illness or disability don’t use the VA system for health care anyway.

Captain Ed has more on this here.