Blogger on the edge- shield law I've got a couple of slants on this one- the federal shield legislation now proposed won't protect bloggers.

I think this is an excellent opportunity for the pajama-clad publishers to fulfill their individualistic destinies. They can often be heard trumpeting themselves as the many sole defenders of truth and slayers of MSM. What greater vindication of the singular intellectual courage of Instapundit then to stand and say, "I need no law to protect me, for the truth is my shield and the light of knowledge the only sword (not to be taken as an endorsement of gun control though I support it on a limited basis) I need. You know, I am a pseudo-libertarian law professor."

The other take on this is that hastily crafted, knee-jerk legislation affords the opportunity for these kinds of unnecessary and potentially harmful distinctions to be made. We probably need to tweak it some, but the present way isn't that bad. And if you want some intimation of that, think about how Fitzgerald might really be on to something.

I am extremely skeptical of his motives and methods, thusly I have appropriately savaged them here. My thinking, I am beginning to see, has been clouded by a prejudicial assumption that all the journalists involved have so far told the truth. I'm beginning to wonder. If I was wrong about that, it would vindicate Fitzgerald's actions in a number of ways.  ¶ 7/14/2005 04:23:00 PM