The fact that you instantly jump to 'licking the boots of power' indicates to me that you don't tolerate any dissent from your views.
> They can make an oxygen-sucking scandal out of nothing. This could devour the rest of Obama's second term if it gets out of hand
This is not 'journalism'. This is blackmail.
I know you're trolling me here, but fuck it there probably are some halfwits out there nodding along with these power-worshiping redefinitions of old, well-understood law. From 18 U.S.C. § 873, blackmail: "Whoever, under a threat of informing, or as a consideration for not informing, against any violation of any law of the United States, demands or receives any money or other valuable thing, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned..." There's no money here. What is the "other valuable thing"? The safety of journalists' innocent loved ones? That's monstrous, and that isn't a proper interpretation of law.
No, the 'other valuable thing' in this case is immunity from search or seizure.
"Don't do this or I will harm your reputation" is blackmail. Not really a moral thing to be talking about doing.
They can make an oxygen-sucking scandal out of nothing. This could devour the rest of Obama's second term if it gets out of hand (and the Republicans decide there's more mileage in beating him up about it rather than supporting the security state).
The public does not have to care for this to be a huge negative for the gov't. The only people who need to care are precisely the ones most likely to--folks rather like Greenwald.