Bill Keller’s letter

I’m not quite as outraged as some in the blogosphere at Bill Keller’s letter. In fact I think that the blogosphere has been a little hard on journalists lately. They’re just trying to protect their turf and their jobs and like so many of us they’re probably worried about outsourcing. I have no doubt that there are lots of people both here and abroad who would be happy to be op-ed writers and editors for the New York Times for a lot lower pay than the incumbents are making.

But considering first Howell Raines and now Bill Keller I’m beginning to wonder if the executive editor of the New York Times should have someone riding behind him in his chariot whispering “You are not a god”.

UPDATE

If I’m not clear enough, “treason” has a  quite specific meaning and this ain’t it.   What the Time did wasn’t prudent but it wasn’t treason, either.  What the paper did was reveal too much about a program that was secret and, apparently, effective, legal, with appropriate controls in place, and receiving legislative oversight.  So, what’s their beef?  Other than that they don’t like the Bush Administration, I mean?