“I ran against the anti-democratic secrecy of Cheney and Addington.  I promised, many times as a candidate, to run the most transparent administration in history.  I promised I’d protect whistle blowers.  The Bush administration classified literally everything, used sovereign immunity, state secrets, national security rationales, intimidation, the pressure of jailing, lawsuits and everything else, to keep crucial information from the People, from the electorate.  Cheney had a safe in his office big enough to hold half a dozen detainees, for Christ’s sake.”

“That second Bush Administration dramatically shifted the public’s right to know to a need to know basis.  They shifted the traditional burden on government of showing something needed to be secret to the burden on the public of proving it should not be secret.  Tricky for the public to do that when they don’t even know there is a secret.   Testimony by the President and Vice President at the 9/11 Commission was top secret, no recording, no transcript, no notes.   Commission members sworn to secrecy.  What the hell was up with that?  Scandals and war crimes were reported in government reports, the reports were classified.   The press was used as a megaphone to broadcast government policy.  I vowed that my administration would reverse that anti-democratic crap.   Now you’re telling me we should try this American journalist under the 1917 Espionage Act, like the guy is a spy during wartime for doing research for his story on CIA torture?”

“It would send a strong message, Mr. President.  We are still obliged to work in the shadows, sir.”

A long pause.  “Ah, hell with it.  Tell Holder to use the stinking 1917 act.  We can’t ask for the death penalty under it, can we?”

“No, Mr. President.”

“Wait until my supporters get a whiff of this…”

 “Our country is so divided, and your opposition so virulent and irrational, Mr. President, that your supporters will defend you, no matter how foul the cologne you might be obliged to douse yourself in from time to time.”

“Get out of my sight….”