"Because He Could"

Bill Keller's defense of publishing state secrets calls to mind Bill Clinton's excuse for his, er, misbehavior in office: he did it "because I could." (This line was later cemented in memory as the title of Dick Morris and Eileen McGann's critique of Clinton's book, BECAUSE HE COULD.)

Austin Bay (linked above) writes: "The Times, apparently, told the story because it could and because it thinks it can get away with it..."

Bill Keller and Bill Clinton, two self-involved narcissists who regularly place self above country.

The President is not amused with the Times' "disgraceful" behavior, which "does great harm to the United States of America" and "makes it harder to win the war on terrorism."

Update: Treasury Secretary John Snow has sent Keller a letter justifiably raking Keller over the coals, saying Keller's actions were "irresponsible and harmful" and that Keller's excuse-making (in which Keller asserted that the government's attempt to block the publication was "half-hearted") was "incorrect and offensive."

Snow goes on: "Lastly, justifying this disclosure by citing the 'public interest' in knowing information about this program means the paper has given itself free license to expose any covert activity that it happens to learn of - even those that are legally grounded, responsibly administered, independently overseen, and highly effective. Indeed, you have done so here."