I wouldn't have thought it possible, but I believe that I actually just lost a little more respect for John Tierney. (On my 1-to-10 scale of respect-having, Tierney has reached, like, -13.)

But no one deserves to go to jail for leaking information to reporters without criminal intent. The special prosecutor was assigned to look for serious crimes, not to uncover evidence that bureaucrats blame other bureaucrats when things go wrong.

"No one deserves to go to jail for leaking information to reporters without criminal intent"? No, I don't think that's quite true, my oddly photographed friend. If this whole to-do concerned the leak of some political strategy memo, I'd probably agree. But protected information is a whole 'nother ball of wax. There's a higher standard, and the burden's on the leaker to make sure that standard is met. (Tierney has clearly not been paying attention to Ripped-from-the-Headlines West Wing.)