C&L BREAKING: Check out this memo from Bill Keller at The NYT to his staff

[redacted]

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/10/21.html#a5488

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<snip>

Check out this memo from Bill Keller at The NY Times to his staff in it's entirety that I have verified from three sources. He touches on many subjects and especially Judy Miller. He rails against her behavior and his own sloppiness in investigating her. Keller also discusses shield laws within the confines of newspapers and their reporters. The NY Times reporting on WMD's is addressed and hasn't that been the real story behind all of this?

Keller: excerpt: "As you can imagine, I've done a lot of thinking -- and a lot of listening -- on the subject of what I should have done differently in handling our reporter's entanglement in the White House leak investigation. Jill and John and I have talked a great deal among ourselves and with many of you, and while this is a discussion that will continue, we thought it would be worth taking a first cut at the lessons we have learned.

<snip>

I wish that when I learned Judy Miller had been subpoenaed as a witness in the leak investigation, I had sat her down for a thorough debriefing, and followed up with some reporting of my own. It is a natural and proper instinct to defend reporters when the government seeks to interfere in our work. And under other circumstances it might have been fine to entrust the details -- the substance of the confidential interviews, the notes -- to lawyers who would be handling the case. But in this case I missed what should have been significant alarm bells. Until Fitzgerald came after her, I didn't know that Judy had been one of the reporters on the receiving end of the anti-Wilson whisper campaign. I should have wondered why I was learning this from the special counsel, a year after the fact. (In November of 2003 Phil Taubman tried to ascertain whether any of our correspondents had been offered similar leaks. As we reported last Sunday, Judy seems to have misled Phil Taubman about the extent of her involvement.) This alone should have been enough to make me probe deeper.

<snip>

Entire Keller messager here:

http://www.crooksandliars.com/stories/2005/10/21/aMessageFromBillKeller.html

[tanyev]

1. Maybe that group that gave her the award will ask for it back.

[Pithy Cherub]

2. NYT the last to know thay had a Judy the Traitor in their midst.

And because they painfully admit the NYT management and editors were like the president and displayed no real curiosity.

:popcorn:

[redacted]

3. Sad isn't it. Really pathetic. NT

[KittyWampus]

4. By all rights Keller should resign. If he had any integrity.

[Child_Of_Isis]

5. when the government seeks to interfere in our work. (?)

Has this guy had his head up his ass the last 5 years?

[Corgigal]

6. It seems that they are embarrassed

that The Daily News is becoming the paper of record on this story.

Man, that really must burn the Times reporters. All because of Judy who most didn't care for anyway.

[redacted]

7. It must hurt -- I think there are good reporters there. Just not Judy.

Someone has had there head up there ****. I just don't trust them anymore.

I once read them religiously.

I am so disappointed in them. I'm glad this letter shows some self-reflection, but frankly I'd like to see massive numbers of the remaining good reporters walk way from the newspaper.

[Corgigal]

8. I did too

Just the idea that The Daily News as taking over the Times slot in NYC (nation) should be enough to fire the mgnt and give Judy the pink slip. Wow, have they fallen.

[AlCzervik]

9. Has she been fired yet? she needs a public shunning to start off with

and then a jail term.

[Justice Is Comin]

10. None of this would have come out

if Fitzgerald was not able to argue effectively enough to the judge that she should be incarcerated. And not in her home as she petitioned the court.

And is Fitzgerald good. You should read his request for denial of her motion to reconsider, on his website.

"A forced vacation at a comfortable is not a compelling reason for coercion."

These Bushwackers have no clue what they're up against.