There appears to be some (back)breaking news from the NYT. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/22/opinion/22pubed.html?pagewanted=1&n=Top%2fOpinion%2fThe%20Public%20Editor&_r=2

 Byron Calame, the Public editor today is telling some dirty little secrets of the Times. In  the second part of his editorial, He utters this  mea culpa regarding Bill Keller’s decision to disclose the banking surveilance program aimed at preventing terrorist funding. Calame dislosed this whopper of a motive.

What kept me from seeing these matters more clearly earlier in what admittedly was a close call? I fear I allowed the vicious criticism of The Times by the Bush administration to trigger my instinctive affinity for the underdog and enduring faith in a free press — two traits that I warned readers about in my first column.

This is a smoking gun for liberal bias in the media. Calame admitted that the banking data surveillance was legal.

Now, why is the traitorous Keller hiding behind Calame’s skirts? Where is his apology? Could it this be that the Times is trying to shore up its stance  after the Sixth Circuit allowed the NSA surveillance on terrorist phone calls to continue. Calame’s quote is so goo it bears repeating.

What kept me from seeing these matters more clearly earlier in what admittedly was a close call? I fear I allowed the vicious criticism of The Times by the Bush administration to trigger my instinctive affinity for the underdog and enduring faith in a free press — two traits that I warned readers about in my first column.

Talk about the smoking gun, Thadastor!

Th opening editorial by Calame is equally sumptuous. This should provide a good Sunday feast. This story has plenty of mining to do. This humble prereporter merely reports its existence.